Elder

Read about Elder in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Sambucus (old Latin name for the elder, also spelled Sabucus). Caprifoliaceae. Elder. Ornamental mostly woody plants grown for their handsome foliage, showy clusters of white flowers, and the attractive red or black berries. Deciduous shrubs or small trees, with stout very pithy branches, rarely perennial herbs: lvs. opposite, odd-pinnate, with serrate lfts., with or without stipules and stipels: fls. small, usually perfect, white, in terminal compound cymes or panicles, usually 5-merous, rarely 3- or 4-merous; calyx-lobes minute; corolla rotate with short tube and oval to oblong-lanceolate lobes; stamens with short filaments; ovary inferior, 3-5-celled; style short, 3-5-lobed: fr. a drupe with 3-5 1-seeded nutlets.—About 20 species in the temperate and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. Some species, particularly S. nigra and S. canadensis, possess medicinal properties; the fr. of these species and also that of S. caerulea is used in cookery, also elderberry wine is made from it. The hard wood, the large pithy shoots which are easily hollowed and the pith are put to various uses. Monograph of the genus by Count Schwerin in M.D. 1909, pp. 1-56. The elders are large and rather coarse shrubs, rarely tree-like, or perennials spreading by suckers, with pinnate foliage and large flat or panicled clusters of white or creamy white small flowers followed by red or black, rarely glaucous or in some varieties green or yellow fruits. They are well adapted for mass planting and are very effective as well in bloom as in fruit in their proper places. They prefer rich and humid soil and most species are hardy North; S. caerulea and its var. neo-mexicana are hardy at least as far north as Massachusetts. Propagation is by seeds which germinate readily and by hardwood and greenwood cuttings, also by root-cuttings; the perennial species and also S. canadensis by suckers. S. callicarpa, Greene (S. leiosperma, Leiberg. S. racemosa var. callicarpa, Jepson). Allied to S. pubens: shrub to 10 ft.: lfts. oblong to lanceolate, pubescent on the veins beneath while young: infl. broadly pyramidal or hemispherical: nutlets smooth. Alaska to Calif., Japan. M.D. 1909:8, fig. 5. G.F. 10:175. Mn. 2:21 (as S. pubens). —S. chinensis, Lindl.—S. javanica.—S. Ebulus, Linn. Herbaceous, stoloniferous, to 5 ft.: lfts. 5-9, elliptic-lanceolate, serrate, pubescent; stipules large: cymes flat, 3-rayed; fls. white or pinkish, anthers purple, fragrant: fr. black, 1/4 in. across. Eu., Afr., W. Asia. R.F.G. 12:779. S.E.B. 4:638.—S. Fontenaysii, Carr. (S. caerulea X S. nigra). Intermediate between the parents: lvs. bluish green: cymes large: fr. black, bloomy. Garden origin.—S. javanica, Reinw. (S. chinensis, Lindl. S. Thunbergiana, Blume). Suffruticose, to 6 ft.: lfts. 5-7, elliptic-lanceolate, the upper ones sometimes decurrent, long-acuminate, sparingly pubescent while young, to 8 in. long: cymes flat, 5-6 in. across, with scattered large aborted fleshy fls.: fr. ovoid, red. Japan, China to Malay Archipelago.—S. leiosperma, Leiberg- S. callicarpa.—S. melanocarpa. Gray. Allied to S. pubens. Shrub, to 12 ft.: lfts. oblong-lanceolate, pubescent beneath while young, 4-5 in. long: infl. ovate: fr. 1/4 in. thick, black, rarely reddish brown. Brit. Col. to Calif. G.F. 10:135. M.D. 1909:8, fig. 4. I.T. 5:173.—S. mexicana, D.C. (S. canadensis var. mexicana, Sarg.). Tree, to 30 ft.: lvs. 5-9-foliolate, sometimes bipinnate; lfts. ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, pubescent on both sides while young, later only below, 2-6 in. long: cymes flat, 6-8 in. across: fr. nearly black, ribbed, 1/4 in. across. W. Texas to S. Calif., Mex. S.S. 5:221. In Mex. planted sometimes near houses as a shade-tree and for its fr. —S. microbotrys, Rydb. Allied to S. pubens. Shrub, to 6 ft., glabrous: lfts. ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate, to 5 in. long: infl. small, nearly hemispherical, about 2 in. long: fr. scarlet. Calif. to Colo. and Nev.—S. Sieboldiana, Graebn. (S. racemosa var. Sieboldiana, Miq.). Closely related to S. racemosa: lfts. oblong-ovate to lanceolate, smooth, not rugulose above, more finely serrate, to 4 or occasionally to 8 in. long: fls. and frs. smaller. Japan, China. S.I.F.2:74 (as S. racemosa).—S. Simpsonii, Rehd. Allied to S. canadensis. Small tree, to 15 ft., with deeply furrowed bark: lfts. usually 5, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, lustrous above, glabrous, 1 1/2-3 in. long: cymes with 4 or 5 rays, the central ray as long or longer than the lateral rays: ovary 5-celled. Fla. S.T.S. 2:175.—S. Thunbergiana, Blume - S. javanica. The plant cult. under this name is S. racemosa or possibly sometimes S. Sieboldiana. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Elderberry or Elder
Black Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Dipsacales Family: Adoxaceae Genus: Sambucus
Species
See text

Elder or Elderberry (Sambucus) is a genus of between 5–30 species of shrubs or small trees (two species herbaceous), formerly treated in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae, but now shown by genetic evidence to be correctly classified in the moschatel family Adoxaceae. The genus is native to temperate to subtropical regions of both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere; the genus is more widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, with Southern Hemisphere occurrence restricted to parts of Australasia and South America.

The leaves are opposite, pinnate, with 5-9 leaflets (rarely 3 or 11), each leaf 5-30 cm long, the leaflets with a serrated margin. They bear large clusters of small white or cream coloured flowers in the late spring, that are followed by clusters of small red, bluish or black (rarely yellow or white) berries. Species have lifespans between 80 and 100 years.

The berries are a very valuable food resource for many birds. Elders are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Brown-tail, Buff Ermine, Dot Moth, Emperor Moth, The Engrailed, Swallow-tailed Moth and The V-pug. The crushed foliage and immature fruit have a strong fetid smell. Dead elder wood is the preferred habitat of the mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae, also known as "Judas' ear fungus".

Valley elderberry longhorn beetle in California are very often found around red or blue elderberry bushes. Females lay their eggs on the bark. Larvae hatch and burrow into the stems.

Species groups

• The common elder complex is variously treated as a single species Sambucus nigra found in the warmer parts of Europe and North America with several regional varieties or subspecies, or else as a group of several similar species. The flowers are in flat corymbs, and the berries are black to glaucous blue; they are larger shrubs, reaching 5–8 m tall, occasionally small trees up to 15 m tall and with a stem diameter of up to 30–60 cm.

Elderberry cultivation in Austria

• • Sambucus australis (Southern Elder; temperate eastern South America)
  • Sambucus canadensis (American Elder; eastern North America; with blue-black berries)
  • Sambucus cerulea (syn. S. caerulea, S. glauca; Blueberry Elder; western North America; with blue berries)
  • Sambucus javanica (Chinese Elder; southeastern Asia)
  • Sambucus mexicana (Mexican Elder; Mexico and Central America; with blue-black berries)
  • Sambucus nigra (Black Elder; Europe and western Asia; with black berries)
  • Sambucus palmensis (Canary Islands Elder; Canary Islands; with black berries)
  • Sambucus peruviana (Peruvian Elder; northwest South America; with black berries)
  • Sambucus simpsonii (Florida Elder; southeastern United States; with blue-black berries)
  • Sambucus peruviana (Andean Elder; northern South America; with blue-black berries)
  • Sambucus velutina (Velvet Elder; southwestern North America; with blue-black berries)

• The Blackberry Elder Sambucus melanocarpa of western North America is intermediate between the preceding and next groups. The flowers are in rounded panicles, but the berries are black; it is a small shrub, rarely exceeding 3–4 m tall. Some botanists include it in the red-berried elder group.

• The red-berried elder complex is variously treated as a single species Sambucus racemosa found throughout the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere with several regional varieties or subspecies, or else as a group of several similar species. The flowers are in rounded panicles, and the berries are bright red; they are smaller shrubs, rarely exceeding 3–4 m tall.
  • Sambucus callicarpa (Pacific Coast Red Elder; west coast of North America)
  • Sambucus chinensis (Chinese Red Elder; eastern Asia, in mountains)
  • Sambucus latipinna (Korean Red Elder; Korea, southeast Siberia)
  • Sambucus microbotrys (Mountain Red Elder; southwest North America, in mountains)
  • Sambucus pubens (American Red Elder; northern North America)
  • Sambucus racemosa (European Red Elder or Red-berried Elder; northern Europe, northwest Asia)
  • Sambucus sieboldiana (Japanese Red Elder; Japan and Korea)
  • Sambucus tigranii (Caucasus Red Elder; southwest Asia, in mountains)
  • Sambucus williamsii (North China Red Elder; northeast Asia)

• The Australian elder group comprises two species from Australasia. The flowers are in rounded panicles, and the berries white or yellow; they are shrubs growing to 3 m high.
  • Sambucus australasica (Yellow Elder; New Guinea, eastern Australia)
  • Sambucus gaudichaudiana (Australian Elder or White Elder; shady areas of south eastern Australia)

• The dwarf elders are, by contrast to the other species, herbaceous plants, producing new stems each year from a perennial root system; they grow to 1.5–2 m tall, each stem terminating in a large flat umbel which matures into a dense cluster of glossy berries.
  • Sambucus adnata (Asian Dwarf Elder; Himalaya and eastern Asia; berries red)
  • Sambucus ebulus (European Dwarf Elder; central and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia; berries black)

Uses

Ripening elderberries

Both flowers and berries can be made into elderberry wine, and in Hungary an elderberry brandy is produced (requiring 50 kg of fruit to produce 1 litre of brandy). The alcoholic drink sambuca is made by infusing elderberriesTemplate:Fact and anise into alcohol. The berries are best not eaten raw as they are mildly poisonous, causing vomiting, particularly if eaten unripe. The mild cyanide toxicity is destroyed by cooking. The berries can also be made into jam, pies or Pontack sauce. All green parts of the plant are poisonous, containing cyanogenic glycosides (Vedel & Lange 1960).

The flowers may be used to make an herbal tea, which is believed as a remedy for colds and fever. In Europe, the flowers are made into a syrup or cordial (in Romanian: Socată), which is diluted with water before drinking. The popularity of this traditional drink has recently encouraged some commercial soft drink producers to introduce elderflower-flavoured drinks (Fanta Shokata). The flowers can also be used to make a mildly alcoholic, sparkling elderflower 'champagne'.

A few clinical studies have shown effectiveness of Sambucol, a formulation based on an extract of elderberry, in the treatment of both adults and children with either type A or B influenza. Sambucol reduced both the severity and duration of flu symptoms in otherwise healthy subjects, but should not be considered a substitute for influenza vaccination in high risk individuals [1]. An in vitro study of Sambucol showed possible effectivness against the H5N1 avian influenza virus [2].

Folklore

The elder was formerly held to be unlucky to have in the garden. If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge; shown in one way by a poem known as the Wiccan Rede where one line reads, "Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be." This may derive from ancient Pagan beliefs, which held the elder sacred to the Moon Goddess. The tree could only safely be cut while chanting a rhyme to the Elder Mother.

References and external links

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Sambucus
• National Institute of Health - Medline page on Sambucus nigra L.
• Vedel, H., & Lange, J. (1960). Trees and Bushes in Wood and Hedgerow. Methuen & Co Ltd.
• Elder bush info and recipes from the BBC Guide to Life, the Universe, and Everything website.
• Grieve, 'A Modern Herbal' (1931)
• http://hca.heindorffhus.dk -- A Philatelic Celebration of the International Hans Chriatian Andersen Year (2005)

gallery Image:Sambucus nigra0.jpg|Black Elder (Sambucus nigra) Image:Elderberrybloom0377.JPG|American Elders in flower, Pamplico, South Carolina, USA Image:elderflower-detail-pd.jpg|American Elder flowers Image:Elderberryfruit5081.JPG|Elderberry fruit heads, Yauhannah, South Carolina, USA Image:Sambucus racemosa2.jpg|Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa) Image:Elderberries2007-08-12.JPG|Ripe elderberries in August </gallery>