Sambucus canadensis
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- sam-BOO-kus kan-ah-DEN-sis
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
-
Sambucus canadensis is a deciduous, somewhat sprawling, suckering shrub that typically grows to 5-12’ tall. It typically occurs on streambanks and in forests, moist woodlands, or open woods. It can become weedy in disturbed areas such as fields, thickets, fence rows, ditches, and roadsides.
The American elderberry grows best in medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. It tolerates a wide range of soils but prefers moist, humusy ones. It spreads by root suckers to form colonies. Prune suckers as they appear unless naturalizing. A large number of late winter pruning options include (a) pruning out dead or weakened stems, (b) shortening one year stems or (c) cutting back to the ground to rejuvenate. Some horticulturists recommend a hard spring pruning for maintaining the best foliage and habit.
American elder (Sambucus canadensis) and European elder (Sambucus nigra) are closely related plants. The Royal Horticultural Society currently lists American elder as Sambucus nigra var. canadensis.
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: This plant has no serious insect or disease problems. It has some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites, and aphids. Its branches are susceptible to damage from high winds or from heavy snow/ice in winter. Plants will spread by root suckers.
- Cultivars:
-
- 'Aurea'
- 'Rubra'
- 'Aurea'
- Tags:
- Cultivars:
-
- 'Aurea'
- 'Rubra'
- 'Aurea'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Sambucus
- Species:
- canadensis
- Family:
- Adoxaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Edible fruit
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern North America
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Butterflies and other insects are attracted to the blooms. Its fruits are eaten by many species of songbirds.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Enhancement
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- fire in the landscape and also moderately resistant to damage from deer.
- Edibility:
- Cooked berries edible in pies, pancakes, and jellies; flowers and fruits used in winemaking. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: When flowers are open, pick whole clusters and dip in pancake batter and fry, or dip in pancake batter and fry as fritters. Elderberry juice can be used as a cold drink. SOURCE: Peterson, L. 1978/ A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 330 pp.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Shrub
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Arching
- Multi-stemmed
- Open
- Spreading
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Purple/Lavender
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Clusters of edible, purplish-black drupes in developing in late summer. Fruits of elderberry species are used to make jams, jellies, pie fillings and wine.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- 6 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Tiny, lemon-scented, creamy-white flowers that appear in large flat-topped clusters (cymes to 10” across) in June.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The American elderberry has opposite, course, compound dark green leaves, 5 to 11 leaflets, sharply serrated. It shows a yellow-green fall color.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- smooth and brown becoming shallowly furrowed and rough with age
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-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Native Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Songbirds
- Problems:
- Poisonous
- Weedy
- Similar plants:
-
Prunus angustifolia
-
Cephalanthus occidentalis
-
Itea virginica
