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Sambucus, or elderberries, are fascinating plants. There are species of Sambucus growing across the globe and indigenous people have used them since the beginning of time. While it was the culinary and medicinal qualities that were revered in earlier times, Sambucus has now been rediscovered as a great ornamental plant for modern gardens. Elderberries fit right in with the trend to use more foliage plants for color and texture in the landscape. Sambucus provides at least three seasons of interest in the garden, beautiful flowers, attractive foliage for summer, brilliant fall color and, don’t forget, clusters of ornamental and edible fruit.

There are a lot of contradictions and confusion both in the folklore surrounding Sambucus and in the naming and classification of it. To simplify, elderberries can be roughly divided into three groups: black-, red- and yellow-fruited. Yellow- and white-fruited elderberries occur in the Southern Hemisphere. Black-fruited species, Sambucus nigra, are the most common and are found across North America and Europe. They form the larger bushes and small tree forms of elderberry. They may be referred to as Elder Trees. Red-fruited species, Sambucus racemosa, are generally smaller and shrub-like and adapted to more northerly regions of North America, Europe and Asia.

Elderberries have compound leaves, the leaflets may be simple bladelike structures with toothed edges to lacy, finely divided leaflets that resemble ferns. When crushed, the leaves and stems have an unpleasant odor. Leaf color ranges from green to deep purple to golden, and there are some varieties with variegated leaves. Most varieties of Sambucus have pleasing fall colors from red to gold before losing their leaves for winter. In the far south, elderberries may remain green and retain their leaves all year.