Very similar in appearance to the Common Elderberry but has red berries and flowers earlier.
Plant Type
All Plants, Shrubs Deciduous
Hardiness Zone
4-6
Sunlight
Seems to vary in the references from sun to full shade but sun to semi-shade seems to be the most common.
Moisture
average to moist, maybe wet
Soil & Site
Found growing in average to moist soils in moist woods, fields rocky woods and ravines.
Flowers
small creamy white flowers followed by bright red berries.
Fruit
red berry-like drupes, food for many forms of wildlife, toxic to humans unless cooked
Leaves
green, opposite and pinnately compound with 5-7 serrated leaflets. Usually glossy above and downy below.
Stems
large amount of brownish pith (spongy tissue in the center of stems of dicotyledonous plants)
Dimensions
Reaches 12-25 feet by 12-25 feet
Maintenance
Prune to shape after blooming.
Propagation
seeds
Native Site
Native to Canada and North America.
Cultivar Origin
Introduced in 1812
Misc Facts
Sambucus is derived from the Greek word "sambuca" a string instrument was supposedly made from the wood of the elder. Pubens means downy. Early Native Americans used: the straight stems for arrows, hollowed stems for spouts to gather maple sap or bore holes and made them into flutes.
Author's Notes
I have seen this a few times in native sites. Always growing on the edge of a woods or sunny opening.
Notes & Reference
#01-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr) , #75-Encyclopedia of Nuts, Berries and Seeds (John Heinerman)