Red Elderberry
November 8, 2022
By Adam Huggins
Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
- Hul’qumi’num Name: tth’iwuq’
- Description: Deciduous shrub growing 1-6m tall with leaves containing 5-7 lance-shaped, toothed leaflets. Produces pyramidal white flowers that ripen into a cluster of waxy red berries.
- Habitat: Prefers wet sites with some shade, but can be found in open areas.
- Harvest: Flowers bloom April-July with fruit ripening in June.
- Edibility: The berries are edible when cooked, though the seeds are emetic, and the flowers are used in tea and cordial.
- Fun Fact: This shrub has many medicinal properties. The leaves, bark and roots can relieve aches and pains when applied externally.
