Sambucus racemosa - Red elderberry

Identification

Subtaxa Present in B.C.

• Sambucus racemosa var. arborescens
• Sambucus racemosa var. leucocarpa
• Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa

"Sambucus racemosa is a deciduous Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft 1in).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 4. It is in flower from Jun to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Native ^[E-flora]
"General: Deciduous, erect, large shrub, 1-6 m tall; twigs thick, soft, pithy, usually somewhat glaucous; bark dark reddish-brown, warty. " ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
"Leaves: Opposite, stalked, large, compound, pinnately divided into 5-7 elliptic to lanceolate leaflets, often asymmetric at the base, abruptly sharp-pointed at the tip, saw-toothed on the margins, and usually somewhat hairy beneath. " ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
"Flowers: Inflorescence of numerous, small flowers in a 4-10 cm long, egg-shaped to conical cluster with short lateral branches on a stronger central axis; corollas white or cream, wheel-shaped; petals fused at base into a short flat tube that spreads (3-6 mm across) at the top to 5 lobes, the lobes longer than the tubes and becoming reflexed." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
"Fruits: Berrylike, globose, 5-6 mm across, shiny red or purplish-black, occasionally brown, yellow, or whitish, but not glaucous, with 3 small, smooth to wrinkled or pebbled stones, each enclosing a seed." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
"Notes: Three varieties of this North American subspecies occur in BC. Fruits black or purplish-black; nutlets slightly wrinkled or pebbly var. melanocarpa (A. Gray) McMinn. Fruits bright red (sometimes yellow or white); nutlets mostly smooth or slightly wrinkled or pebbly. Nutlets mostly smooth; plants 2-6 m tall var. arborescens (T.& G.) A. Gray. Nutlets slightly wrinkled or pebbly; plants 0.5-3 m tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Habitat / Range
"Moist to mesic meadows, ditches, streambanks, grasslands, shrublands, disturbed areas and forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; var. ar­borescens is common in and W of the Coast-Cascade Mountains, var. melanocarpa is common E of the Coast-­Cascade Mountains and less frequent to the W of them, var. leucocarpa is infrequent in SC and SE BC; var. arborescens – N to AK and YT and S to CA; var. melanocarpa – E to AB and S to NM, AZ, NV and N CA; var. leucocarpa – E to PQ and NB and S to TN and GA." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]} Common in mountainous sections of northeastern United States. ^[EWP]

Ecological Indicator Information
"A shade-tolerant to shade-tolerant/intolerant, sub montane to subalpine, circumpolar deciduous shrub (transcontinental in North America). Occurs on fresh to very moist, nitrogen-rich soils within boreal, temperate, and cool mesothermal climates; its occurrence decreases with increasing elevation. Scattered to plentiful in open-canopy forests on water-receiving sites. Indicative of rapid decomposition of forest floor materials (originally Mor humus forms) remaining on cutover or fire-disturbed, water-shedding sites. Usually associated with Alnus rubra, Athyrium filix-femina, Epilobium angustifolium, Rubus parviflorus, and R. spectabilis. A nitrophytic species characteristic of Moder and Mull humus forms." (Information applies to coastal locations only) [IPBC-E-flora]

Hazards
The toxicity of the fruit and seeds was dealt with in a number of ways. The berries are nearly always described as being cooked prior to consumption [7], [13], [14], [17], [27], [37], [44] and [46], which renders the fruit less toxic. People cooked red elderberry fruit through steaming on rocks, pit-baking, and boiling. The cooked mass was sometimes dried on a rack over a fire or in the sun to produce dried berry cakes that were rehydrated for consumption. ....Seeds were generally removed while the fruit was being consumed. There are two reports that recently cooked or rehydrated red elderberry fruit was eaten by holding a group of berries in the hand and squeezing, allowing the syrup-like portion of the fruit to pass between the fingers to be licked-up, the material remaining in the hand discarded [7] and [17]. Sometimes red elderberry was eaten with fish oil, the seeds and skins of the fruit spit out and water drank afterwards, to ‘wash out the seeds’ [46].^[RENWC]

Edible Uses

• Berries
• The bright scarlet berries are bitter and unpleasant. ^[EWP] Red elderberry fruit is sometimes described as tart and not highly regarded [13], [19] and [46] and was mixed with salmonberry, red, blue, or black huckleberry, salal, blueberry, crabapples, and fish and mammal oils to make it more palatable [13], [27], [37] and [46]. Alternatively, some considered red elderberry mixed with other fruit in dried cakes as expensive food and used it to feed the rich and important during feasts [37] and [46]. ^[RENWC]
• "Raw or cooked[105, 161, 257]. A bitter flavour[183]. The fruit is quite nutritious, having a relatively high fat and protein as well as carbohydrate content[212]. The fruit can be dried prior to use, it will then lose some of its rank taste[183]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity." ^[PFAF]
  
• Harvesting: The fruit was harvested by hand, or when the berry clusters were beyond reach, with a long hooked pole that allowed the entire berry cluster to be taken at once [46].^[RENWC]
  
• Historical Use: The need to process red elderberry fruit does not seem to have inhibited its use. Many plant foods used across North America were cooked prior to consumption and storage [27], as were many of those commonly used on the Northwest Coast [46] and [14]. Detoxification of plant foods for consumption is in fact common worldwide [18]. The required cooking of red elderberry fruit was not much of an additional cost compared to that of other local fruits, although removing the seeds probably did add to processing costs. The potential benefits of red elderberry, including its sizable clusters of berries that can be harvested at once, its favorable nutritional content in comparison to other local fruits, and its storability, compensated for these costs ^[RENWC] The berries were eaten in large quantities by the Kwakiutl, although they have never been considered as high quality food (Boas, 1921; Cranmer, 1969). They were gathered in August with the aid of long hemlock poles with hooks on the end to pull down the higher bunches. They were usually cooked overnight in steaming pits lined with dried fern leaves and skunk cabbage leaves (Lysichitum americanurn) bent up around the edges to hold the juice. When the berries were done, they were ladled into cedar frames set over warmed skunk cabbage leaves from which the midveins had been cut. They were then dried over the fire for 24 hours. The resulting cakes were tied in bundles of five with cedar bark and stored in boxes for winter. ... They were broken into dishes, soaked in water, and rubbed against the side of the dish until they fell apart. Then oil was poured over them, and they were eaten with spoons. Only the juice was swallowed; the skins and seeds were spat out. One always drank water after eating elderberries in order to rinse out the seeds (Boas, 1921). ...Today they are used to make jelly (Cranmer, 1969). Unripe elderberries used to be eaten, but only by the old women. They were steamed in a kettle, still in bunches, and then mashed with the back of a spoon. Oil was poured over them, and they were eaten with firetongs. Roasted salmon was eaten afterwards to prevent the women from getting sick (Boas, 1921). [Turner&Bell2]
• "The clusters were picked intact, and the stems removed later, before or after being cooked. ... A common method was to boil them in a cedar-wood box, mashing and stirring them while cooking, to make a thick, jam-like sauce. This could be eaten immediately, stored, sometimes underground, in boxes lined with birch bark or skunk-cabbage leaves and sealed with grease, or spread out or poured into wooden frames set on skunk-cabbage leaves and dried into cakes for longterm storage. These dried cakes were reconstituted by soaking in water overnight, and were often then mixed with other berries, such as raspberries or blueberries, with oil or fish grease, and, within historic times, sugar. The berry clusters were sometimes cooked in underground pits lined with skunk-cabbage leaves. If the clusters were pit-cooked or boiled intact, the person eating them would simply suck off the edible juice and pulp and discard the stems, seeds, and skins".[????]
• Preservation: Red elderberry is most often described as an important winter food [13], [14], [27] and [37], but also was eaten in season [13].^[RENWC]
  Red elderberry appears to have been a readily and commonly stored fruit on the Northwest Coast, probably accounting for it often being described as an important winter food. The fruit was stored in dried cakes that were kept in cedar boxes or underground pits [13], [14], [37] and [46]. The berries were also preserved in a moist form by putting berry clusters in containers of alder bark and placing them in cool streams, or by wrapping cooked berries in skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum) and sticking them in swamp mud [13].^[RENWC]
  
• Properties: The fruit of red elderberry was also used to extend other more highly valued berries. For example, red elderberry and currant (Ribes spp.), another fruit often regarded as poor tasting [34], were mixed with salal berries [46] to make them last longer. ^[RENWC]
  

Other Uses

• Waterproofing: The only technological use of red elderberry fruit we are aware of is the use of crushed fruit to waterproof rain hats among the Makah [13]. ^[RENWC]
• Hunting Tool: "...the Saanich children hollowed out the pithy stems to make "blow guns" (Paul, 1968)." ^{[Turner&Bell1]}"Segments of elderberry stem were fixed on arrows and used to stun birds {Ravenhill, 1938). The stems were also used to make the bases of feather shuttlecocks for a game, and to make blowguns for children (Boas, 1966)." ^{[Turner&Bell2]}

Medicinal Uses

Root

"The inner bark of the Red-berried Elder is accounted the most powerful physic which the Forest Potawatomi have and it is used in the same manner as the Menomini Indians use it. There is no questioning its drastic action, but the method of its use shows considerable superstition connected with it. Four joints of the stem are chosen, of half an inch diameter or greater. The proper length is measured from the point of the ulna to the point of the humerus. If these joints are peeled downward and the bark steeped in warm water, the resulting cup of fluid becomes a very quick-acting purgative. However, should the same sticks have been peeled upward and the resulting “tea” drunk, then it would have been a strong emetic. The white man is apt to discover that this powerful remedy works both ways at once. The National Dispensatory⁸⁵ says that the bark is a poison and has been know to cause death. Nickell⁸⁶ says that medicines have been made from the inner bark of the Red-berried Elder that cause watery evacuations and are believed capable of expelling serum. It has been used to increase evacuation from the bowels and also has been used to produce vomiting." [HuronSmith Zuni]

"If these sticks are now peeled downward, the resulting inner bark and rind are steeped and boiled, then thrown away. The liquid is. drunk and saves the life of one threatened with serious constipation. This remedy is only used in extreme cases, for there are many other remedies for constipation and this is a dangerous one unless needed, when it becomes a drastic purgative. If these same sticks were peeled upwards and the tea drunk, then it would have acted as a powerful emetic. There is probably no doubt of its emetic and purgative properties, but the mechanical difference in preparation is surely pure superstition." [HuronSmith Menomini]

"For a woman who felt qualmish and could not vomit, elderberry roots were washed and rubbed on a stone in water until the water became milky. This extract was drunk to induce vomiting (Boas, 1930). The bark was mixed with yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) and black twinberry bark (Lonicera involucrata) to make a footbath for aching legs and feet (Boas, 1966). It was also used to make a steam bath to relax the body of a woman after childbirth. Boiling water was poured over it, and the woman sat in the steam covered with a blanket (Alfred, 1969; Brown, 1969)." ^{[Turner&Bell2]}

• "Bark of the roots placed in water, a few hot stones added until water reached blood heat, and decoction used as a powerful emetic and purgative for pain in the stomach." ^{[Turner&Bell1]}
  
• "Bark of the roots peeled with the teeth, chewed, preferably with a little cool water, and juice swallowed as an emetic and purgative. Said to act within half an hour." ^{[Turner&Bell1]}
  
• "two cupfuls of the warm decoction taken internally twice a day as a purgative." ^{[Turner&Bell1]}
  
• "Roots brewed, the first water discarded and the second taken internally as a purgative." ^{[Turner&Bell1]}
  
• "Bark of roots scraped off, water added to the bark, and the infusion taken internally as an emetic and purgative." ^{[Turner&Bell1]}
  

Nutritional Value

S. Racemosa fruit; 78g water, 103kcal, 1.1g protein, 5.6g fat, 14.6 g carbs, 0.9g crude fibre, 98mg calcium, and 84mg phosphorus ^[RENWC]

Cultivation
"Tolerates most soils, including chalk[200], but prefers a moist loamy soil[11, 200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates some shade but is best in a sunny position[1]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and coastal situations[200]. Closely related to S. racemosa and considered part of that species by some botanists[43]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200]." [PFAF]

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]." [PFAF]

Synonyms

• Sambucus pubens.
• Sambucus racemosa var. laciniata W. D. J. Koch ex DC.
• Sambucus racemosa pubens leucocarpa. (Torr.&Gray.)Cronq. [E-flora]

SAMBUCUS ELDERBERRY

(Adoxaceae - Honeysuckle Family) (Previously in Caprifoliaceae)

Generally shrub to small tree, deciduous; main trunk generally 0. Stem: pith large, spongy. Leaf: 1(2)-odd-pinnately compound; leaflets serrate. Inflorescence: panicle of cymes, terminal, generally ± dome-shaped. Flower: ovary chambers 3–5, ovules pendent; style ± 0, stigma lobes 3–5. Fruit: drupe, berry-like. Seed: 3–5.
20 species: temperate, subtropics some cultivated as ornamental. (Greek: for stringed instrument made from wood of genus) Toxic in quantity (except cooked fruits). [Bolli 1994 Diss Bot 223:1–256] [Jepson]

Local Species;

1. Sambucus cerulea var cerulea - blue elderberry
2. Sambucus racemosa - red elderberry
   • var melanocarpa - black elderberry

Uses of Sambucus sp.

Species Mentioned; Elderberry - Sambucus ^[FFWE] S. racemosa, S. callicarpa, S. cerulea, S. caerulea, S. glauca, S. melanocarpa. [????]

Hazards

Toxic

"Elder seeds, stems, roots, and unripe fruits all contain the purgative alkaloid sambucine, as well as hydrocyanic acid. Taken internally, diarrhea and vomiting can result. Herbal Medications warns that there are reports of poisonings ". . . from using the stems as blowguns, and from using too much of the plant for medication. There is a chance of cyanide poisoning if significant amounts were to be ingested." If using hollowed elder stems, make certain to thoroughly remove (and discard) the pith; boiling cleaned stems before use is highly recommended." [????]

"... first aid for cyanide poisoning includes removing any remaining food product from the patient's mouth, inducing vomiting, and giving artificial respiration. (See Treatment of Acute Poisoning at back of book.) Medical aid should be sought promptly."
"Some individuals however, experience nausea even when elder is properly prepared. Proceed slowly until you are familiar with how your particular system reacts.
The leaves, bark, roots, and seeds of elderberries are poisonous, due to the presence of cyanide-producing glycosides. Red elderberries are reputed to cause nausea if eaten raw, probably due to these compounds in the seeds. Blue elderberries are not known to have caused digestive upset, but all elderberries should probably be cooked before being eaten, and the leaves, stems and roots should never be consumed." [????]

S. cerulea; "The leaves, green fruits and stems of some (if not all) members of this genus are poisonous[9, 76, 226]. The fruit of 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]."^[PFAF]

S. racemosa; "Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the leaves and stems of some, if not all, members of this genus 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]." ^[PFAF]

"I've seen children chewing on the pithy core of the dried elderberry sterns many times. I have often done so also, and thus conclude that the dried sterns are not harmful, at least not in small amounts. However, the green stalks can be harmful if eaten. ...children who have made whistles and blowguns from the dried elder sterns have been poisoned." [????]

Edible Uses

• Berries
• Sambucus spp. "deciduous shrubs and small trees of moist open woods and forest edges, widespread in N Hemisphere; small clustered, somewhat tart berries usually cooked as sauce or used for wine and other beverages." [ETWP]
• "...clean the mature berries as usual. Then dry them on trays in the sun or oven or on outspread newspapers in a hot, dry attic." ^[FFWE]
• "Cook (raw, they can cause stomach upset) and remove the seeds. Rich in vitamins A, B, C, calcium, iron, and potassium. Cooked, dried, fashioned into cakes. Before eaten they are soaked in water to soften and eaten with grease. (The seeds and skins were spit out.). Mid to late summer."
  
• "The red and white berries are not recommended for food, some having toxic qualities." [????]
• Blue Elderberry: "berries were eaten by all Indigenous groups within the range of the plant, Usually harvested in August and September, sometimes with a special hooked implement, they were occasionally eaten raw, but more commonly cooked to a jam-like consistency, alone or mixed with other fruit. Recently, sugar was added as a sweetener. Sometimes the cooked berries were spread out to dry in cakes for winter, and some people extracted the juice from the cooked berries. Nlaka'pamux people used the juice for marinating fish."
  
• S. cerulea; "This species is common in the Duncan area. Paul (1968) was familiar with it through his mother, who was a Cowichan. The berries were usually cooked before eating." [Turner&Bell1] "Raw, cooked or used in preserves[2, 3, 15, 85, 94, 183, 257]. Rather sweet and juicy but full of small seeds[82, 256], this is the best flavoured of the North American elders[212]. The fruit is rather nice raw, seven people ate and enjoyed a small quantity of the raw fruit with no ill effects[K]. The fruit can be dried for later use[257]. A somewhat rank taste fresh[101], the fruit is usually dried before being used[183]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity." [PFAF]
• Flowers
• Once you can identify the small white flowers of the common or American elderberry, Sambucus canadensis, these showy flat- topped clusters can be washed, shaken dry, stripped from the stems, and beaten in batters that are slightly thinner than usual for pan- cakes, waffles, and muffins. ^[FFWE]
  Dried flowers can be ground and added to flour and baking mixes. Late spring to early summer when fully open. Fresh or dried, they make a pleasant tea.
  
• S. cerulea; Raw or cooked in fritters etc[15, 85, 94, 183]. Very pleasant and refreshing raw[K]. A pleasant tea is made from the dried flowers[62, 183. [PFAF]
  
• S. racemosa; Raw or cooked. [105, 161, 183PFAF] The dried flowers, removed from the cluster, can also be mixed into flour for baking pastries, breads, and more.
  
• Flower Buds
• Pickled or steamed as a potherb. [????]
• Leaf Buds
• Alaskan friends report nibbling a few spring leaf buds as a trail snack when hungry for early "greens." [????]
• Flower Cluster
• The whole flower cluster can be gathered, dipped in batter, and fried, producing a wholesome pancake. Try dipping the flower clusters in a batter of the sweet yellow cattail pollen (see Cattail) and frying it like pancakes. This is wild food at its best. [????]
• Root
• S. racemosa; The root is made into a tea-like beverage[105, 161, 183]. [PFAF]
  

Other Uses
Elder's tree of music nickname comes from its ancient use as material for wind instruments. The botanical Sambucus comes from sambuke, a Greek instrument made from elder's hollow stem. Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants says Indians pressed ". . . poisonous pith out of straight stems with hot sticks to make flutes." Today elder stems are still frequently hollowed for making toy flutes and peashooters, as well as spiles for tapping birch trees. (See Caution, following.) ^[????]

• Stems
  
• Pith: Plantcraft reports that elder pith, which is among the lightest of solids, is used by watch-makers to absorb grease and oil, and by biologists to grip minute specimens for microscopic work.
  
• Musical Instrument: Some Indians knew this member of the honeysuckle family as "the tree of music' because of the way they made wind instruments from the straight stems. These were cut in the spring, dried with the leaves on, and then the soft pith of their interiors was poked out with hot sticks. ^[FFWE]
  S. cerulea; The hollow stems can be used as flutes and pipes[257PFAF].
  S. racemosa; The stem is easily hollowed and can be used to make a whistle[212PFAF].
• Spouts: Method of hollowing out stems for music making is also used to make spouts for gathering sap from maples, birches, and other trees. ^[FFWE]
  
• Arrows: Larger, green-barked stems, sometimes used to make arrows.^[FFWE]
  A straight elder branch makes an ideal stem for a calumet. The pipe stem is carved to fit the catlinite (or clay, bone, wood) pipe, and the stem is hollowed out with a hot wire. Additionally, an entire pipe can be fashioned from a piece of elder stem where a second stem is growing perpendicular to the first. Both the bowl and stem are one piece and are hollowed out with a hot wire. [????]
• Blowguns: Long straight elder branches can be hollowed out and used as blowguns. Branches five feet or longer are best, but shorter ones can also be effective. The key is to select an elder branch that is as straight as possible.
  There are two methods of hollowing the blowgun. One method is to use a hot wire and slowly hollow it out. The second is to split the elder length- wise, scoop out the pith, and then reseal the elder branch with glue or resins. In this second method, the entire elder branch is usually wrapped with leather to bind it. [????]
  
• Repellent
• S. cerulea; A decoction of the leaves, when watered on plants, repels caterpillars [94PFAF]. The dried flower stems repel insects and rodents[101PFAF].
  Insect repellent is another elder use. The leaves, which are notoriously odorous, repel insects as well as people. Dairies traditionally hung elder branches on walls during cheese- making activities to repel flies. In the woods you can place a sprig behind your ear or in your hair to ward off mosquitoes; a sprig of sweet gale is also advised, both to sweeten the air and to further repel insects. Elder leaves can also be infused in water and sprayed on plants to repel aphids. ^[????]
• Tinder
• S. cerulea; The pith of the stems has been used as a tinder for lighting fires[257PFAF].
  
• Wood
• S. cerulea; light, soft, weak, coarse grained. Of no commercial value, though it is used locally for flutes, skewers, pegs, straws etc[82, 94, 99, 229PFAF].
  Green elder wood is said to be excellent for small carvings. Dry wood is reported as hard as ebony and ideal for making pegs and cogs for machinery. ^[????]
  
• Dye
• Still another elder product is natural dye. The leaves, with chrome as a mordant, yield a distinctive green hue; the berries, with alum and cream of tartar, provide crimson dye. ^[????]
• Cosmetic
• Ladies, ancient to modern, have indulged themselves with beautifying elder flower lotions. Elderblow water, obtained by distilling or infusing the blossoms, is famed for lightening freckles and clearing the complexion.
  Use the blossoms in facial steams for dry or irritated skin. Blended with yarrow and mint, the blossoms make an invigorating footbath. Add elder blossoms to massage and bath oils for soothing and softening the skin. For dry hair, try an elder flower tea hair rinse. ^[????]
  

Medicinal Uses

• Bark
• S. cerulea; Analgesic and astringent[257PFAF]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea and rheumatism[257PFAF]. A decoction has been used as a wash in the treatment of swellings and pain[257PFAF]. An ointment made by mixing the bark with fat has been used externally in the treatment of burns, ulcers, skin irritations etc[226PFAF]. The fresh bark has been placed in a tooth cavity to ease the pain of toothache[257PFAF]. The inner bark is strongly emetic[257PFAF].
  
• Leaves
• S. cerulea; Analgesic, antiseptic, diaphoretic, febrifuge and purgative[257PFAF]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of new colds[257PFAF]. An infusion of the leaves and flowers has been used as a steam bath in the treatment of colds and headaches[257PFAF]. A decoction of the leaves has been used as an antiseptic wash on limbs affected by blood poisoning [257PFAF]. The crushed leaves have been used as a poultice to treat burns and swollen hands[257PFAF].
  A poultice of the leaves is used for wounds, sprains, and swellings. A tea of the fresh or dried leaves is used as a wash for skin infections.
  
• Root
• S. cerulea; A decoction has been used in the treatment of bladder problems and dyspepsia[257PFAF].
  
• Flowers
• S. cerulea; A decoction has been used in the treatment of stomach troubles and lung complaints [257PFAF]. Applied externally, it has been used to treat sprains and bruises and as an antiseptic wash for open sores and itches[257PFAF].
  S. racemosa; Used in the treatment of measles [257PFAF].
  Tea made from the flowers induces sweating; as such, it is said to be useful for colds, fevers, and headaches associated with colds.
  
• Fruit
• S. cerulea; A wine made from the fruit has been used as a tonic[257PFAF].
  
• Bark & Leaves
• S. racemosa; Diuretic and purgative[212PFAF].

Other Medicinal Uses
Catholicon against all infirmities. Touted as curative for more than seventy diseases, ranging from plague to toothache; the flower tincture reputed to restore sight to the blind!
Elder flower eyewashes remain popular. The floral tea is drunk for colds, constipation, and rheumatic complaints; it's regarded as a gentle, relaxing brew that calms the nerves. Mixed with mint it's a traditional drink for breaking children's fevers, but herbalist Michael Moore warns that it may be contraindicated for youngsters with a history of convulsions and high fevers. Elder flower tea contains a natural estrogen and is often effective for relieving menstrual cramps. Leaves and flowers are common ingredients in skin salves for piles, burns, and boils. In England, this is frequently used as a livestock ointment. [????]

S. cerulea; "Haemostatic[94]. An infusion or extract made from the flowers, bark and root has been used to cure fevers and gripe, it is also laxative[226]. A decoction of the plant has been used as an antiseptic wash to treat itches[257]." [PFAF]

Propagation
Sambucus does well from cuttings and root division and can be shaped into a handsome hedge. "In Alaska, the shrub tends to be undependable. A hard winter may kill all or part of the hedge, although it will recover rapidly. Some growers advise pruning the tree lightly every winter." [????]

Blue Elderberry - Sambucus caerulea

Identification

"Sambucus caerulea is a deciduous Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft 10in) at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone (UK) 5. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
It can tolerate atmospheric pollution." [PFAF]

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

• Sambucus cerulea ssp. cerulean
  

General: Deciduous, erect shrub, occasionally a small tree, 1-5 (sometimes to 10) m tall, the trunk diameter to 25 cm, often several-stemmed from basal suckers; twigs soft, pithy, glaucous; old bark finely fissured.
Leaves: Opposite, stalked, large, compound, pinnately divided into 5-9 leaflets, which are lanceolate to narrowly egg-shaped, 5-15 cm long and 2-6 cm wide, often asymmetric at the base, abruptly sharp-pointed at the tip, saw-toothed on the margins, and usually glabrous.
Flowers: Inflorescence of numerous, small flowers in a flat-topped, 4-20 cm wide, umble-like cluster with 4-5 spokes; corollas wheel-shaped, white or cream; petals fused at base into short, flat tubes that spread (4-7 mm across) to 5 lobes that are longer than the tubes.
Fruits: Berrylike, globose, 4-6 mm across, powder blue (bluish-black with a heavy, waxy bloom), with 3-5 wrinkled stones, each enclosing a seed.

Habitat / Range
Moist to mesic meadows, grasslands, shrublands, disturbed areas and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC; S to MT, AZ, NM and CA. ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

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]." [PFAF]

Cultivation
"Tolerates most soils, including chalk[200], but prefers a moist loamy soil[11, 200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates some shade but is best in a sunny position[1]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and coastal situations[200]. A fast-growing but short-lived tree in the wild[229]. A shrub at Kew in September 1993 was carrying a good crop of tasty fruits[K]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200]." [PFAF]

Synonyms

• S. glauca.
• S. neomexicana.

References

1. Charles D. Bell 2013. Sambucus, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=80590, accessed on Jan 14 2015
2. E-flora
• Sambucus racemosa - http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Sambucus racemosa&redblue=Both&lifeform=4 [Accessed: 11/29/2014 1:32:45 PM ]
• http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Sambucus cerulea&redblue=Both&lifeform=4 [Accessed: 1/14/2015]
3. [RENWC] Exploring the use of red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) fruit on the southern Northwest Coast of North America, Robert J Loseya, Nancy Stenholmb, Patty Whereat-Phillipsc, Helen Vallianatosa, Journal of Archaeological Science Volume 30, Issue 6, June 2003, Pages 695–707
4. PFAF
   • Sambucus racemosa - http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sambucus+racemosa, Accessed Jan 14, 2015
   • http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sambucus+caerulea Accessed Jan 14, 2015