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Sambucus nigra
Also called Black elderberry, Elderberry, European Elderberry, Europen Elder, European Black Elder, European Black Elderberry, Common Elderberry
Elder is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub or small tree grown for its scented flowers and berries used in cordials, wine and jams. It does best in sunny, fertile soil that stays moist, and it is tolerant of cold and a wide range of conditions.
Sambucus nigra is a temperate species of tree or shrub in the family Viburnaceae native to the Azores, Europe, and the Middle East. Common names include elder, common elder, black elder, European elder, and also elderberry for the fruit, and elderflower for the flowers. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry fertile soils, primarily in sunny locations. The plant is widely grown as an ornamental shrub or small tree.
Both the flowers and the berries have a long tradition of culinary use, primarily for cordial and wine. Although the plant is commonly used in dietary supplements and traditional medicine, there is no clinical evidence that it provides any health effect.
Sambucus nigra is native to Europe as far east as Turkey. It is native in, and common throughout, the British Isles. It has been introduced to parts of most other continents of the world.
American Elder · Blue elderberry · Dwarf Elder · Chinese Elder · Red-berried Elder · Elder
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sambucus nigra by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
