Part of
elderberry genus Sambucus
in
moschatel family Adoxaceae.
Despite its common name, botanically, its fruit is not a berry,
but a
"drupe".
Native to 🗻︎ mountainous western 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Canada and USA, through 🇪🇺 Europe and temperate Asia.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48)
(color key),
🗺 map (North America, Central America).
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.