A group of about 26 related plants in moschatel  family Adoxaceae, including species American black (🇨🇦 Canadian) (common) elderberry  Sambucus canadensis and red elderberry  Sambucus racemosa.

Please let us know which other species you would like to see here, using the button at the bottom of this page.

Different species are native 🌍︎🌎︎🌏︎ worldwide, in temperate and subtropical areas of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key).

Despite its common name, botanically, its fruit is not a berry, but a "drupe".

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)

Most elderberry species produce edible 🍇︎ berries and juice (cooked, pulp and skin, no seeds nor stems).  😋︎ Yummy, even (this author recalls having eaten elderberry jam and wine — I did not then know to ask about which species).

But uncooked berries, and other plant parts (e.g., seeds, stems, and particularly roots and tender leaves), are ☠︎ toxic.   Make sure you learn the details!

🐝︎ Pollinators such as solitary cavity-nesting bees often make nests in this plant's old ⊚ pithy stems.

Learn more about elderberry genus Sambucus

🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Michigan Flora Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db Wikipedia