Compound pinnate leaves and saucer-shaped flower arrangement of Blue Elderberry shown above.
Sambucus cerulea
Compound pinnate leaves and saucer-shaped flower arrangement of Blue Elderberry shown above.
Berries of the Blue Elderberry are shown at right.
Like the Red Elderberry, the Blue Elderberry lives in moist places.
1. Blue Elderberry is a large bush to small tree, rarely getting over 15 feet high. It usually has many hollow stems arising from the base of the plant.
2. The leaves are compound pinnate.
3. The flowers are fragrant, tiny, and shaped like a flat-topped saucer or over-turned plate.
4. The berries are blue, and covered with a whitish coat of yeast.
1. The berries are edible, but very sour. With sugar added, they can be used to make juice, wine, syrup, and jams. All other parts of the plant are poisonous.
2. The leaves contain tannin which is an antidote for Stinging Nettles.