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.