1. Sambucus canadensis L. (common elderberry)
S. nigra ssp. canadensis (L.) Bolli
S. canadensis var. laciniata A. Gray
S. canadensis var. submollis Rehder
S. canadensis f. rubra E.J. Palmer &
Steyerm.
Map 1429, Pl.
335 g, h
Plants shrubs or
small trees 1–8 m tall, usually with stout, spreading rootstocks and suckering
from the roots. Bark yellowish brown, tight, lacking ridges but appearing
roughened or warty. Twigs 3–5 mm thick, the pith white. Leaves with the petiole
3–7 cm long, glabrous except in the ventral groove, where densely pubescent
with minute, scurfy hairs. Leaflets (5–)7–9 per leaf, 5–12(–14) cm long, 2–6(–9)
cm wide, lanceolate to narrowly oblong or elliptic, the upper surface glabrous,
the undersurface usually minutely hairy along the veins, rarely also hairy on
the tissue between the veins. Inflorescences more or less flat-topped, lacking
an elongate main axis, instead with usually 5 primary branches (these
repeatedly branched). Corollas 3–5 mm wide, white. Fruits bluish black to
purplish black (rarely red), edible (except when fresh and eaten in quantity)
and palatable, with a pleasant flavor. 2n=36. May–July.
Common
throughout the state (eastern U.S.
west to North Dakota and Texas;
Canada, Mexico, Caribbean Islands).
Bottomland forests, mesic upland forests, banks of streams and rivers, margins
of ponds, lakes, and sinkhole ponds, and upland prairies; also pastures, old
fields, gardens, railroads, roadsides, and disturbed areas.
Sambucus canadensis is closely related to the European S.
nigra L., and Bolli (1994) treated it as one of six subspecies in his very
broadly circumscribed vision of that species. The two taxa differ in leaflet
number (almost always five in S. nigra, almost always seven in S.
canadensis), fruit color, and pubescence, and there seems little
justification for uniting them. It should be noted that rare plants of S.
canadensis are found with red berries; these have been called f. rubra.
Another uncommon form has the leaflets 1 or 2 times deeply lobed or dissected.
These plants have been called var. laciniata and are popular
horticulturally for their lacy foliage. Steyermark (1963) also noted the
presence of scattered plants with the undersurface of the leaflets hairy both
along the veins and on the tissue between the veins. Such plants have been
called var. submollis. All of these variants appear to occur as rare
mutants that are formed independently and repeatedly within populations of
otherwise typical individuals and thus are not worthy of formal taxonomic
recognition. Instead, they might better be treated in horticulture as
cultivars.
Elderberries
have many uses in food, medicine, and winemaking, and as a colorant. Many parts
of the plant are toxic, but the toxins may be broken down by proper cooking or
(under some circumstances) drying and storage, so it is best to work from
proven recipes rather than experimenting with the plant. However, the berries,
which ripen between August and October, are relatively edible and palatable,
tart but tasty. They can be gathered in quantity in midsummer, but they are
rapidly eaten by birds if left on the shrub. They are sometimes eaten fresh,
though they contain mild toxins which can cause discomfort if too many are
eaten at one time. These compounds apparently break down if the fruits are
cooked or dried for the winter. Elderberries make excellent jelly, but they
contain no pectin, so they must be mixed with other fruit or else have pectin
added. The flowers are used in perfumery and as a flavoring in confections. A
tea made from the flowers has been used medicinally, and they may be fried in
batter or added to muffins. Both flowers and fruit have often been used to make
wine. The fruits provide a magenta colorant used to alter the color of some
other beverages and foods, and a black dye has been produced from the bark.