red elderberry

(Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa)

Conservation Status
red elderberry
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Red elderberry is a fast growing shrub rising on multiple stems from shallow roots and rhizomes.

The stems are erect or arching, branching, hairless, up to 13 tall, and up to 4¾ in diameter at breast height. They are dotted with conspicuous, large, raised, warty bumps (lenticels).

The bark on first year stems is gray and smooth. Bark on older stems is gray to reddish-brown and rough with thin, narrow, plate-like scales.

The twigs are stout. The area of cells in the center of the stem (pith) is large, encompassing more than half of the diameter of the twig. First-year twigs greenish-brown and covered with short, soft hairs. Second-year twigs are grayish to brownish and hairless. The pith is white in first-year twigs, tan or orangish-brown in second-year twigs. There are no terminal buds.

The leaves are opposite, deciduous, and pinnately divided into usually 5, occasionally 7, leaflets. They are attached to the twig on a 1¼ to 2¾ long leaf stalk. The leaf stalk is hairy on all surfaces.

The leaflets are lance-shaped to egg-shaped or elliptic, 2 to 4¾ long, and ¾ to 2 wide. They are attached to the central leaf stalk (rachis) on to long stalks. They are rounded or tapered and asymmetrical at the base and taper to a point at the tip with concave sides along the tip. The terminal leaflet is often somewhat smaller than the lateral leaflets. The upper surface of the leaflet is dark green, and sparsely hairy, at least along the midvein. The lower surface is pale green and hairy along the veins. The margins have fine, sharp, forward-pointing teeth.

The inflorescence is a branched, 1¼ to 3 wide cluster (cyme) at the ends of the stems and branches. The cymes are pyramid-shaped or egg-shaped. They rise on erect, ¾ to 3½ long stalks. Each cyme has 100 to 200 small flowers.

The flowers are to ¼ wide. There are 5 yellowish-white petals and 5 stamens with white filaments and yellow anthers. They appear in late April to early June.

The fruit is a juicy, globular berry, to ¼ in diameter, containing 3 to 5 seeds. It ripens in mid-June to late July, turning bright red.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

5 to 13

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Yellowish-white

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) has undivided (simple), hairless leaves. The inflorescence is dome-shaped.

American elderberry (Sambucus nigra var. canadensis) second year twigs have white pith. The leaves usually have 7 leaflets, occasionally 5 or 9. The leaf stalk upper surface channel is hairy but the leaf stalk is otherwise hairless. The leaflets are symmetrical at the base and are less coarsely toothed. The inflorescence is larger and flat-topped. It blooms from early July to mid-August. Mature berries are dark, blackish-purple.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moist to moderate moisture. Deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests, swamps, marsh edges, stream banks, lake shores. Full sun to full shade.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

Late April to early June

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 

Toxicity

 
 

The fruit is safe to eat when cooked. The raw fruit, the seeds, and all other parts of the plant are poisonous, and can be lethal at high doses.

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  2/12/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Dipsacales (honeysuckles, moschatels, and allies)  
 

Family

Viburnaceae (elder)  
 

Genus

Sambucus (elderberry)  
       
 

Species
Some authors treat this as a Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, a subspecies of black elderberry.

Family
There is some disagreement about the correct placement of the genera Sambucus and Viburnum. They were formerly included in the family Caprifoliaceae. In 2003, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group proposed moving them to the Adoxacea family (APG II), but the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants approved the conservation of Viburnaceae. In 2016, Angiosperm Phylogeny Group proposed to “super-conserve” Adoxacea (APG IV), but the General Committee for Botanical Nomenclature rejected the proposal.

Currently (2023), some sources, including USDA PLANTS and NatureServe, place the genera Sambucus and Viburnum in the Caprifoliaceae family. Some sources, including ITIS and NCBI, place them in the Adoxacea family. Almost all other sources, including APG IV, World Flora Online, Plants of the World Online, GRIN, GBIF, and iNaturalist, place the two genera in the Viburnaceae family.

 
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Sambucus callicarpa

Sambucus microbotrys

Sambucus pubens

Sambucus pubens var. arborescens

Sambucus racemosa var. arborescens

Sambucus racemosa var. leucocarpa

Sambucus racemosa var. microbotrys

Sambucus racemosa var. pubens

Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

bunchberry elderberry

red elderberry

red-berried elder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Cyme

A branched, flat-topped or convex flower cluster in which the terminal flower opens first and the outermost flowers open last.

 

Lenticel

A corky, round or stripe-like, usually raised, pore-like opening in bark that allows for gas exchange.

 

Pinnate

On a compound leaf, having the leaflets arranged on opposite sides of a common stalk. On a bryophyte, having branches evenly arranged on opposite sides of a stem.

 

Pith

The spongy cells in the center of the stem.

 

Rachis

The main axis of a compound leaf, appearing as an extension of the leaf stalk; the main axis of an inflorescence.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 
 
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Cindy C

 
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
    red elderberry      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
    red elderberry      
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    red elderberry      
           
 

Twig

 
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
 

Leaves – 5 Leaflets

 
    red elderberry      
           
 

Leaves – 7 Leaflets

 
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
 

Infructescence

 
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
    red elderberry      
           
 

Bud in Early Spring

 
    red elderberry   red elderberry  
           
    red elderberry   red elderberry  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Sambucus racemosa
Susanne Wiik
 
  Sambucus racemosa  
 
About

Rødhyll, red elderberry

 
  Red-berried Elder (Sambuscus racemosa)
Andree Reno Sanborn
 
  Red-berried Elder (Sambuscus racemosa)  

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Red Elderberry - Wild Edible Plant Series
Alex Ansary
 
   
 
About

Published on Feb 27, 2014

http://alexansary.tv/wild-edible-medicinal-plants-pacific-northwest/

In our world, having the knowledge of what wild edible plants in your area are safe to forage for either medicinal, edible or use is very valuable. Whether your motivation is preparedness, getting closer to nature, health and wellness, or botany, there is something for you in this video series.

John Gallagher talks you on a walking tour of wild edible and medicinal plants of the pacific northwest. This video series was filmed and edited by Alex Ansary in 2008 and shot in Duvall, Washington. John is a instructor at the Wilderness Awareness School. More videos from this school and on the topic of edible plants are coming to this channel. Please subscribe today.

John's website is: http://www.LearningHerbs.Com.

   
  Red Elderberry
TheBackyardBushman
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jul 12, 2011

Red Elderberry, very pretty and not at all edible.

   
  sambucus racemosa
wander van laar
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 22, 2014

No description available.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Cindy C
8/2/2014

Location: Zimmerman, MN (Sherburne County)

red elderberry  
           
 
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