North China Red Elder Sambucus williamsii
- Phonetic Spelling
- sam-BYOO-kus WIL-yam-see-eye
- Description
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The North China Red Elder is a large, flowering, deciduous shrub or small tree in the viburnum family, native to Siberia, China, and Japan. The plant can reach a mature height of 18 feet. The branches of older trees are an attractive reddish brown with highly visible narrow elliptic lenticels on the trunk. The dense cream-colored flowers appear at the same time as the dark green leaves. The plant is distinguished from other species by the foliage, black fruit, and its unpleasant odor.
The North China Red Elder does best in moist soil in a partial to fully shaded site. It will tolerate wind, air pollution, and poor soil, but does not do well in the salt air of the coast.
The plant is hardy and its relatively small size makes it useful in the landscape as a windbreak or hedge.
The stems of S. williamsii are used in Chinese medicine, in combination with other herbs, to relieve swelling and pain with bone fractures.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Sambucus
- Species:
- williamsii
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used for its medicinal properties in traditional Chinese medicine.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southern Siberia, China, Korea, Japan
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers are pollinated by insects.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Rounded
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Small, red ovoid fruit that is sometimes bluish or purplish black appear in late summer to early fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Pink
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small, dense terminal panicles appear simultaneously with leaves in spring and early summer. The corolla is pinkish in bud and white or yellowish when open.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are unevenly pinnate with leaflets ovate or narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate and irregularly serrate, sometimes with several glandular teeth at the base or below middle. The lowest pair of leaflets may have bluish protrusions at the base.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- Old branches reddish brown, with conspicuous, narrowly elliptic lenticels.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Pith is brown.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Pollinator Garden
- Shade Garden
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heavy Shade
- Pollution
- Wind
