Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (Red elderberry)

FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Sambucus racemosa L. var. racemosa

Red elderberry, redberry elder, red-berried elder

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Dipsacales	Includes viburnum, honeysuckle, snowberry, beautybush, twinflower, many others
Family	Adoxaceae	Elders and viburnums
Genus	Sambucus	From Greek sambuke, for a musical instrument made from elderwood
Species	racemosa	Like I said “with flowers in racemes”
var.	racemosa	Like I said “with flowers in racemes”

About plant names...

Red elderberry is a North American native.

Identification: Forms a rounded shrub up to 20' (6.1 m) in diameter, consisting of many stems emerging from a central point. Upright branches, composed of soft pithy wood, eventually bend into arches. Leaves are opposite, in pinnate groups, each 1¾-6" (5-15 cm) long and about ¾-2" (2-6 cm) wide, with sharply serrated edges. The leaves, flowers and branches have a disagreeable odor when crushed, smelling like "a cross between skunk cabbage and Ailanthus," according to Will Cook. Flowers form tight umbrella-shaped clusters, white with a pink tinge, about 3-5" (7.6-12 cm) around. Red elderberry berries are ... well ... red (or, just to keep you guessing, rarely yellow or white). They are up to ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter, in dense clusters.

8/16/2014 · White Mountains, New Hampshire
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

7/12/2015 · Mt. Kearsarge, Wilmot/Warner, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 5" (16 × 13 cm)

7/12/2015 · Mt. Kearsarge, Wilmot/Warner, New Hampshire
≈ 31 × 47" (79 × 119 cm)

Here are some related elderberries:

	*Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis*	*Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea*	You are here Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa
Common Name	elderberry	blue elderberry	red elderberry
Plant	Forms a rounded shrub up to 15' (4.6 m) in diameter, consisting of many stems emerging from a central point.	This woody shrub reaches heights of 20' (6.1 m), with main branches up to 1½" (3.8 cm) in diameter.	Rounded shrub up to 20' (6.1 m) in diameter, consisting of many stems emerging from a central point.
Flowers	Tight umbrella-shaped clusters, white or cream-colored, about 3-6" (7.6-15 cm) around.	White or cream-colored, in flat-topped clusters up to 6" (15 cm) around.	Flowers form tight umbrella-shaped clusters, white with a pink tinge, about 3-5" (7.6-12 cm) around.
Leaves	Opposite, in pinnate groups, each 1¾-6" (5-15 cm) long and about ¾-2" (2-6 cm) wide, with sharply serrated edges.	Opposite, in clusters of 3-9, up to 8" (20 cm) long, and oval to lance-shaped.	Opposite, in pinnate groups, each 1¾-6" (5-15 cm) long and about ¾-2" (2-6 cm) wide, with sharply serrated edges.
Stem	Upright stems, composed of soft pithy wood, eventually bend into arches.	Upright branches, composed of soft pithy wood, eventually bend into arches.	Upright branches, composed of soft pithy wood, eventually bend into arches.
Fruit	Berries are *shiny and black,* in dense, heavy clusters, each up to ¼" (6.3 mm) in diameter.	Berries are spherical, *blue-black in color, with a white powdery surface that makes them look lighter.*	Berries are *bright red*, in large, tight clusters.
Range/ Zones		USDA Zones: 4-10	USDA Zones: 3-9
Habitats		Mixed conifer forests, forest-steppe transitions, open talus slopes, at high elevations
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild

While this species is found in the east, a variant, Sambucus racemosa Linnaeus var. microbotrys (Rydberg) Kearney & Peebles, is found in the west.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones All parts of the plant, with the exception of the berries, produce hydrocyanic acid—cyanide!—and are poisonous in significant quantity. Children have been poisoned as a result of making toys such as pea shooters from the stems. Many sources list red elderberry berries as poisonous, but some claim they are edible when boiled and processed into wine jams and wine. (I don't know about you, but I'm not trying them!) The berries are relished by many birds. Indigenous peoples sometimes mixed the boiled berries with other berries to improve flavor, and formed dried cakes for winter use.