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Sambucus nigra

Common name: Elderberry Family: Caprifoliaceae
Author: L. Botanical references: 11, 17, 200
Synonyms:  
Known Hazards: The leaves and stems are poisonous[9, 76]. The fruit of many species (although no records have been seen for this species) has been known to cause stomach upsets to some people. Any toxin the fruit might contain is liable to be of very low toxicity and is destroyed when the fruit is cooked[65, 76].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Africa and W. Asia.
Habitat: Hedgerows, scrub, woods, roadsides, waste places etc, especially on disturbed base-rich and nitrogen rich soils[9, 17].
Edibility Rating (1-5): 4Medicinal Rating (1-5):3

Other Possible Synonyms:From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
S. nigra f. alba[G] S. nigra f. aurea[G] S. nigra f. laciniata[G] S. nigra f. pendula[G] S. nigrum[E]
Other Common Names:From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
Black Elder [H], Bore Tree [H], Bour Tree [H], Bourtree [H], Common Elder [H,MS], Elder [H,L], Elder Rind [E], Elderberry [E], Ellhorn [H], European Black Elder [P,B], European Elder [E,H], Gewone Vlier [D], Khaman Kabir [E], Murver Agaci [E], Pipe Tree [H], Pipetree [H], Sauco [E], Seiyo-Niwatoko [E], Zovika [E],
Epithets:From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
nigra = black
Systematics:From a USDA Plants Database
Order: Dipsacales. Honeysuckle family
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database
Britain Europe France Iraq Spain Turkey Yugoslavia(Bosnia)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 6m by 6m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from March to November, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies. It is noted for attracting wildlife. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Cultivar 'Alba': Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Colouring Flowers Fruit Tea.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 3, 5, 46, 61]. The flavour of the raw fruit is not acceptable to many tastes, though when cooked it makes delicious jams, preserves, pies and so forth[K]. It can be used fresh or dried, the dried fruit being less bitter[12, 183, 238]. The fruit is used to add flavour and colour to preserves, jams, pies, sauces, chutneys etc, it is also often used to make wine[13, 183]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter and is borne in large clusters[200]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Flowers - raw or cooked[2, 5, 12, 53]. They can also be dried for later use[21]. The flowers are crisp and somewhat juicy, they have an aromatic smell and flavour and are delicious raw as a refreshing snack on a summers day, though look out for the insects[K]. The flowers are used to add a muscatel flavour to stewed fruits, jellies and jams (especially gooseberry jam)[238]. They are often used to make a sparkling wine[183].
A sweet tea is made from the dried flowers[21, 183].
The leaves are used to impart a green colouring to oils and fats[183].

Medicinal Uses

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Antiinflammatory Aperient Diaphoretic Diuretic Emetic Emollient Expectorant Galactogogue Haemostatic Laxative Ophthalmic Purgative Salve Stimulant.

Elder has a very long history of household use as a medicinal herb and is also much used by herbalists[4]. The plant has been called 'the medicine chest of country people'[4]. The flowers are the main part used in modern herbalism, though all parts of the plant have been used at times[238].
Stimulant[9, 53, 165].
The inner bark is collected from young trees in the autumn and is best sun-dried[4]. It is diuretic, a strong purgative and in large doses emetic[4, 7]. It is used in the treatment of constipation and arthritic conditions[238]. An emollient ointment is made from the green inner bark[4].
The leaves can be used both fresh or dry. For drying, they are harvested in periods of fine weather during June and July. The leaves are purgative, but are more nauseous than the bark[4]. They are also diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant and haemostatic[4, 7]. The juice is said to be a good treatment for inflamed eyes[4]. An ointment made from the leaves is emollient and is used in the treatment of bruises, sprains, chilblains, wounds etc[4].
The fresh flowers are used in the distillation of 'Elder Flower Water'. The flowers can be preserved with salt to make them available for distillation later in the season[4]. The water is mildly astringent and a gentle stimulant. It is mainly used as a vehicle for eye and skin lotions[4].
The dried flowers are diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, galactogogue and pectoral[4, 7]. An infusion is very effective in the treatment of chest complaints and is also used to bathe inflamed eyes[4]. The infusion is also a very good spring tonic and blood cleanser[4]. Externally, the flowers are used in poultices to ease pain and abate inflammation[4]. Used as an ointment, it treats chilblains, burns, wounds, scalds etc[4].
The fruit is depurative, weakly diaphoretic and gently laxative[4, 7]. A tea made from the dried berries is said to be a good remedy for colic and diarrhoea[4]. The fruit is widely used for making wines, preserves etc., and these are said to retain the medicinal properties of the fruit[4].
The pith of young stems is used in treating burns and scalds[46, 61, 100].
The root is no longer used in herbal medicine but it formerly had a high reputation as an emetic and purgative that was very effective against dropsy[4].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh inner bark of young branches[4]. It relieves asthmatic symptoms and spurious croup in children[4].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Compost Cosmetic Dye Fungicide Hedge Insecticide Litmus Microscope Musical Pioneer Pipes Repellent Wood.

The plant is a valuable addition to the compost heap[14, 18], its flowers are an alternative ingredient of 'QR' herbal compost activator[32] and the roots of the plant improve fermentation of the compost heap when growing nearby[18].
The leaves are used as an insect repellent[4, 6, 14, 66], very effective when rubbed on the skin though they do impart their own unique fragrance[K]. They can be powdered and placed amongst plants to act as a deterrent[14], or made into a spray when they act as an insecticide[7]. This is prepared by boiling 3 - 4 handfuls of leaves in a litre of water, then straining and allowing to cool before applying[201]. Effective against many insects, it also treats various fungal infections such as leaf rot and powdery mildew[201].The dried flowering shoots are used to repel insects, rodents etc[101].
The flowers are used in skin lotions, oils and ointments[238].
Tolerant of salt-laden gales, this species can be grown as a shelter hedge in exposed maritime areas[29, 75], it is rather bare in the winter though[K].
This is an excellent pioneer species to use when re-establishing woodlands. It is very tough and wind-resistant, grows quickly and provides shelter for longer-lived and taller woodland species to establish. It will generally maintain itself in the developing woodland, though usually in the sunnier positions[K].
A dye is obtained from the fruit and the bark[13, 15]. The bark of older branches and the root have been used as an ingredient in dyeing black[4].
A green dye is obtained from the leaves when alum is used as a mordant[4].
The berries yield various shades of blue and purple dyes[4]. They have also been used as a hair dye, turning the hair black[4].
The blue colouring matter from the fruit can be used as a litmus to test if something is acid or alkaline. It turns green in an alkaline solution and red in an acid solution[4].
The pith in the stems of young branches pushes out easily and the hollow stems thus made have been used as pipes for blowing air into a fire[4]. They can also be made into musical instruments[4].
The pith of the wood is used for making microscope slides and also for treating burns and scalds[46, 61, 100].
The mature wood is white and fine-grained. It is easily cut and polishes well[4]. Valued highly by carpenters, it has many used, for making skewers, mathematical instruments, toys etc[4, 13, 100, 244].

Cultivation details

A very easily grown plant, it tolerates most soils and situations[11, 28, 98], growing well on chalk[28, 98, 186], but prefers a moist loamy soil[200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates some shade but fruits better in a sunny position[37, 200]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and coastal situations[200]. Another report says that it is intolerant of very smoky atmospheres[186].
The elder is very occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties though most of these have been developed for their ornamental value[182]. The sub-species S. nigra alba has white/green fruits that are nicer than the type species and are quite nice raw[K]. The elder also has a very long history of folk use, both medicinally and for a wide range of other uses. All in all it is a very valuable plant to have in the garden.
The leaves often begin to open as early as January and are fully open in April[186]. The leaves fall in October/November in exposed sites, later in sheltered positions[186]. Young stems can be killed by late frosts but they are soon replaced from the ground level[186]. Very tolerant of pruning, plants can be cut back to ground level and will regrow from the base[186].
The flowers have a sweet, almost overpowering smell, not exactly pleasant when inhaled near to for it has fishy undertones, but from a distance its musky scent is appealing[245].
Very resistant to the predations of rabbits[17, 186].
The flowers are very attractive to insects[186]. The fruit is very attractive to birds[186] and this can draw them away from other cultivated fruits[14, 186].
The elder is an early colonizer of derelict land, the seed arriving in the defecations of birds and mammals[186]. It is a very good pioneer species for re-establishing woodlands.
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame, when it should germinate in early spring. Stored seed can be sown in the spring in a cold frame but will probably germinate better if it is given 2 months warm followed by 2 months cold stratification first[78, 98, 113]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If good growth is made, the young plants can be placed in their permanent positions during the early summer. Otherwise, either put them in a sheltered nursery bed, or keep them in their pots in a sheltered position and plant them out in spring of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[78].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 20cm with a heel, late autumn in a frame or a sheltered outdoor bed[78].
Division of suckers in the dormant season.

Scent

Leaves: Crushed
The crushed foliage has a strong aroma.
Flowers: Fresh
The flowers have a sweet, almost overpowering smell, not exactly pleasant when inhaled near to for it has fishy undertones, but from a distance its musky scent is appealing[245].

Cultivars

'Cae Rhos Lligwy'
The fruit is large and green with a gooseberry flavour[200].
'Alba'
The fruit of this form is very pale and seems to be much more acceptable to the human palate than the type species. In a taste test all 7 people found the raw fruit of this form quite acceptable to eat[K].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

References for Sambucus nigrum (a possible synonym). References for sambucus nigra (a possible synonym).

References for the family Caprifoliaceae.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[6] Mabey. R. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana 1979 ISBN 0-00-635555-2
Details on some of the useful wild plants of Britain. Poor on pictures but otherwise very good.

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[12] Loewenfeld. C. and Back. P. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-7971-2
A handy pocket guide.

[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[15] Bryan. J. and Castle. C. Edible Ornamental Garden. Pitman Publishing 1976 ISBN 0-273-00098-5
A small book with interesting ideas for edible plants in the ornamental garden.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[28] Knight. F. P. Plants for Shade. Royal Horticultural Society. 1980 ISBN 0-900629-78-9
A small but informative booklet listing plants that can be grown in shady positions with a few cultivation details.

[29] Shepherd. F.W. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society. 1974 ISBN 0900629649
A small but informative booklet giving details of all the hedging plants being grown in the R.H.S. gardens at Wisley in Surrey.

[32] Bruce. M. E. Commonsense Compost Making. Faber 1977 ISBN 0-571-09990-4
Excellent little booklet dealing with how to make compost by using herbs to activate the heap. Gives full details of the herbs that are used.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[53] De. Bray. L. The Wild Garden.
Interesting reading.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.

[66] Freethy. R. From Agar to Zenery. The Crowood Press 1985 ISBN 0-946284-51-2
Very readable, giving details on plant uses based on the authors own experiences.

[75] Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 1984
A small booklet packed with information on trees and shrubs for hedging and shelterbelts in exposed maritime areas.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[101] Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978
A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[186] Beckett. G. and K. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold 1979
An excellent guide to native British trees and shrubs with lots of details about the plants.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[244] Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs Pan Books Ltd. London. 1990 ISBN 0-330-30725-8
Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

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