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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
Mother Nature's Montrose Garden, Montrose CO
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For
many of us, summer is the season of the elderberry. Between bird visitors, fragrant flowers and
ripe berries it’s hard to beat our native Blue Elderberry. And even though our plant is very young
(about two years; one in the ground), if you look closely you can see both
flowers and a few berries this summer.
The
taxonomy of Blue Elderberry (sometimes also called Mexican Elderberry) has been
the subject of some debate. While confusing
to the home gardener, this debate results from a genuine interest in
classifying the species correctly. As
of 2019, the consensus opinion recognizes two variants of native North American
‘dark elderberries’: Sambucus nigra L.
ssp. canadensis (American Black
Elderberry; mostly east of
the Rockies) and Sambucus nigra
L. ssp. cerulea (Raf.) R. Bolli (our
western Blue Elderberry). The scientific name is pronounced sam-BEW-kus NIE-gruh
ser-U-lee-uh. The Elderberries are
members of the Adoxaceae (Muskroot) Family); they were formerly placed
in the Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle) Family.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
S. California
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Blue
Elderberry has previously been called Sambucus
cerulea, Sambucus caerulea, Sambucus mexicana, Sambucus glauca, Sambucus neomexicana, Sambucus
velutina and several other scientific
names. Some of
the taxonomic confusion doubtless reflects its wide distribution in western
North America, from southwestern Canada to northern Mexico. Widely distributed species are sometimes known
by different names due to historical reasons. But there are
regional differences in Blue Elderberry’s appearance. Some botanists and nursery people feel that
‘lumping’ them all together has obscured genuine biologic differences; so the
taxonomy may change yet again in the future.
For now, just remember that you may encounter Blue Elderberry under any
of the above names.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
after fire, San Miguel County, CO
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Where ever it
occurs in the West, Blue Elderberry grows in moister areas within more dry
surrounding habitats – or drier, more open areas in woodland habitats. Blue Elderberry grows where its roots can
access deeper water. It’s not uncommon
to find Blue Elderberry growing on river banks (a bit away from the water) or
on slopes that get a little extra winter/spring water. It grows in all counties of Utah and Arizona,
most counties of New Mexico, and just a few counties of Colorado, at elevations
under about 8000 ft (2400 m.). [1] The photo above comes from San Miguel County,
at an elevation of about 7500 ft.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
winter die-back
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
mature shrub form
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In
areas with cold winters, most of the new growth dies back each winter. The cycle of winter die-back and spring
re-growth produces a large shrub 6-8 ft. tall and wide. Plants add new sprouts
each year, and increase in size with age.
In areas with mild winters (like Southern California), Blue Elderberry
can become much larger, ranging from a very large shrub (8-12 ft tall and 8-15
ft wide) to a small tree. With optimal
water it becomes a nice sized tree up to 20-25 ft tall with a respectable trunk
(see below). While Blue elderberry is
reported to have a relatively short life (20 years or so), in S. California,
trees live much longer (50-100 years).
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
old tree, Palos Verdes peninsula, S. California
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Blue
Elderberry is winter- and drought-deciduous, losing its leaves for several
months of the year. In most home gardens
in Western Colorado, the leaf drop occurs in fall – usually sometime between mid-October
and November in our area. Under drier
conditions, plants may lose their leaves as early as late summer. Elderberries
begin to grow when the soil warms up in spring – usually April or early May in
the Montrose area. It then grows rapidly
to full size by mid-summer (see photos below).
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Several
features make Blue Elderberry an attractive plant. Even in winter, its furrowed, red-brown bark provides
interest in the wilds or in a garden.
The bark contrasts nicely with the pale green color of the leaves when
plants are leafed out. The leaves are
compound - made up of several leaflets – and somewhat succulent. Overall, the foliage has a lacy appearance,
although the shade under an Elderberry tree/shrub can be anything from dappled
to quite dense depending on how the plant has been pruned.
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| Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea): leaf |
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
flower clusters
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
close-up of flowers
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Elderberry
has small, cream/yellow flowers growing in dense clusters, mostly at the ends
of branches. Elderberries can begin
flowering as early as July and may flower off and on throughout the
summer. The flowers have a wonderful
aroma – somewhat like spiced honey – that perfumes the air on warm summer
days. This is just one of the benefits
of using Blue elderberry as a shade tree.
If you like the scent, you can use the flowers to make elderflower tea,
syrup and even jelly. Just collect ripe
flower clusters (your nose is your best cue), remove the green stems, wash with
cool water, then cover with hot (almost boiling) water. After about 10 minutes you can strain out
the flowers and drink the ‘tea’ or use it to make syrup or jelly.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
elderflower makes delicious jelly
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| Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea): fruits |
The
berries for which Blue Elderberry is famous start out small, hard and green. In
the warm summer months, they grow, turning first a dark (almost black) purple, then
soft and blue when fully ripe (hence the common name). The blue color is due to a waxy ‘bloom’ that
covers the berries. Most Elderberry
trees/bushes have a ‘main ripening event’ sometime in summer (August or
September) with additional clusters ripening before or after.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
fruits and insects attract Audubon's & other warblers
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Blue
Elderberry is a good habitat plant for the home garden. It’s large enough to provide perches and
cover for birds. In summer and fall, a
wide range of birds eat the fruits/seeds including finches, warblers, jays,
orioles, bluebirds, grosbeaks and the Northern Mockingbird. Some migratory birds seem to prefer the dried
berries over the fresh. In the wild, the
foliage is browsed by deer and elk. Our
most common pollinator seems to be the European Honey Bee. But you’ll also see some native bees, flower
flies and other potential pollinators visiting the flowers.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
European Honeybee pollinator
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Blue
Elderberry is hardy to USDA Zone 4. It
can be grown in soils ranging from quite sandy or gravelly to fairly dense
clays. It doesn’t like salty soils or
seaside conditions; and it prefers at pH between 7.0-7.5 (but will take soils
with a slightly higher pH). It likes
sun, but can tolerate some shade.
Established Elderberries are quite drought tolerant, but they produce
best – and keep their leaves through the fall – if given an occasional deep
watering in summer.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
makes a nice chade tree
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Blue
Elderberry makes a nice addition to the home garden. With a little yearly pruning, it can make a
nice shade tree in warmer climates (see above). Elderberries are also valuable plants for
slopes and stream banks. If you have a
large property, they make a lovely large shrub that requires little effort. It can be used as a summer accent or included
in a mixed hedge or hedgerow. Plants will
be most productive if the oldest stems are pruned out each year in late winter.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea): in
mixed hedgerow, Mother Nature's Montrose Garden
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Elderberries take a few years to become
established. In our experience, the
establishment period takes longer in sandy soils (3 to 4 years) than it does in
clay soils (about 2 years). During the
establishment phase, the plant spends most of its energy establishing roots; the
above-ground growth can be slower than many gardeners expect. Never fear - patience is all that’s required. Once established, your Elderberry will grow
quickly and can be selectively pruned to a more tree-like shape (see http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/08/plant-of-month-august-blue-mexican.html
for more on pruning to a tree shape). In
colder climates, Blue elderberry will form a large, dense shrub in 3-4 years.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea): Yearly photos
Mother nature's Montrose Garden, CO
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Blue elderberries are a favorite food among native
peoples where ever they grow. The fruits
are high in potassium, have three times the protein of blueberries, and are
rich in vitamin C, calcium, beta-carotene and phosphorus. [2] The
berries are quite tart until cooked and sweetened. It’s best to cook or dry
berries before eating; too many raw berries can make you sick! Blue
elderberries make a distinctively-flavored jelly, syrup or cordial. They are
also used to make wine, sauces and to flavor candy. They can be dried and used for herbal
tea. Re-hydrated dried berries (or fresh)
can also be used in baked goods. For hints on harvesting, cleaning and preparing
Elderberries see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/08/picking-cleaning-and-processing.html. For some of our favorite Elderberry recipes,
see: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2012/08/elderberry-recipes.html
.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp.
cerulea): jelly-making
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Native peoples used the hollow stems of Elderberry to make flutes, blow-guns and
clapper sticks (a type of percussion instrument used to beat the tempo during
songs and dances). The straight stems
were also used for arrow shafts, pegs and combs. A dark gray dye was prepared from the berry
stems to dye basketry materials. A dye
can also be made from the bark. The dried leaves were used as an insecticide.
Blue Elderberry was also used extensively as a
medicinal plant. A wash prepared from
flowers or leaves was used on skin sores, bruises and as a skin
conditioner. Tea from the flowers is
still used as a tonic and to fight colds.
All parts of Blue Elderberry make
plant chemicals that may cause nausea and diarrhea if eaten. Berries should be ripe – and should be cooked
– to insure they are safe to eat.
Elderflower tea is mild, but should be used in moderation. Be
sure that the berries are Blue Elderberries – the berries of Red Elderberry – and the leaves of all elderberries - ARE TOXIC
AND SHOULD NOT BE EATEN.
In
summary, Blue elderberry is a wonderful garden plant that isn’t used enough in
Colorado gardens. It has much to
recommend it, from its dense foliage, sweet flowers and edible berries. It’s a fantastic bird habitat plant; one of
the best you can grow to attract a wide range of fruit- and insect-eating
birds. And it is a plant with a long
history in the Four Corners states. Growing
it links you to native peoples and settlers who have used this plant for thousands
of years.
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Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea):
group picking elderberries
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The
only drawback is that Blue elderberry is not widely available in nurseries –
even the local native plant sources. It
can be mail-ordered from Native Foods Nursery - https://nativefoodsnursery.com/fruit-trees/blue-elderberry/. If all else fails, you can plant the other sub-species:
Sambucus nigra L. ssp. canadensis (American Black Elderberry), which also grows wild in Colorado. There are several nice cultivars of the
American Black Elderberry, some of which are more widely available. Just remember to choose a cultivar of the American Elderberry; some plants sold in nurseries are cultivars
of the European Black Elderberry.
________________________________
- https://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/White%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/sambucus%20nigra.htm
- http://www.harlequinsgardens.com/mikls-articles/elderberry-shrub-food-and-medicine/
For more
pictures of this plant see: https://www.slideshare.net/cvadheim/sambucus-nigra-ssp-cerulea-web-show-169113725
We
welcome your comments (below). You can
also send your questions to: monaturesmontrosegarden@gmail.com
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