| Common Name |
Blue Elderberry |
| Latin Name |
Sambucus nigra |
| Family |
Caprifoliaceae |
| Sunset zones / USDA zones |
2-7, 14-17 / 6-8 |
| Type / Form |
Tree / Medium |
| Native Habitat |
Riparian, near permanent water or above shallow
sub-terranium water |
| Soil |
Most moist soils |
| Water |
Regular |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| Height X Width |
To 12 feet X 12 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
None |
| Leaves |
Green, deciduous |
| Flowers |
Monoecious; small, white, borne in dense,
flat-topped clusters, up to 8 inches across, appearing in summer.
Small,
berrylike drupe, purple-black, and very juicy, up to 1/4 inch in
diameter, borne in flat-topped clusters, maturing in late summer.
|
| Bark / Roots |
Smooth and brown becoming
shallowly furrowed and rough with age.
Stout, silvery- to
yellow-gray with obvious, warty lenticles, large white pith; buds are
very small, red-brown and pointed, terminal buds are generally lacking.
|
| Maintenance |
Low |
| Propagation |
Seed, cuttings |
| Pests and diseases |
|
| Landscape uses |
Erosion control, low maintenance |
| Garden Suitability |
Ethnobotanical, Thornless, Songbird, Butterfly |
| Nature Value |
Erosion control, animal habitat, berries eaten by
animals |
| Native American Uses |
Berries eaten raw or dried for later use, stems and bark
used to make four colors of dye for basketry, stems used to make arrows
and musical instruments, medicinal value |
| Links |
|
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra |
| Images and data |
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/957/ |
| Images and data |
http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H263.htm |
| Images and
data |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SANIC4 |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=10348 |
| Images and data |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=85 |
| Images and data |
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/samnigc/all.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_801c.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=10348 |
| Images and data |
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=H150%20 |
| Images and data |
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/2299/sambucus-nigra-ssp-canadensis-american-black-elderberry/ |
| Distribution |
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SANI4 |
| Nursery, images, and
data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/sambucus-mexicana |
| Nursery |
Oak Hills Nursery, 13874 Ranchero Road, Oak Hills, 92345,
760-947-6261 |
