The Wild Garden: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Sambucus mexicana (Blue Elderberry)

Kingdom	:	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	:	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	:	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	:	Asteridae
Order	:	Dipsacales
Family	:	Caprifoliaceae – Honeysuckle family
Genus	:	Sambucus L. – elderberry
Species	:	Sambucus nigra L. – black elderberry
Subspecies	:	Sambucus nigra L. ssp. cerulea (Raf.) R. Bolli – blue elderberry

Note: Throughout the years I've written short articles for our website's home pages (home pages are the front page of a website) about these plants. They are now included at the bottom of this page, and are illustrated by botanical drawings and paintings, some of which are from books published from 1500 - 1900.

This handsome, deciduous shrub, with its multiple stems, reaches 6-12’ in little time.

The bright green leaves grow from stems as pithy as raspberry canes and surround the distinct flat-topped clusters of flowers.

Shrubs yield an impressive amount of delectable, blue-black berries with a high vitamin content that are used in pies, wines and preserves. Birds and other wildlife flock to the berries as they ripen. Do take care not to eat the berries uncooked and remember that the roots, leaves and bark contain cyanide and must be avoided.

Blue elderberry is generally an interior rather than coastal plant found from Alberta to New Mexico and west to the Pacific Coast (USDA 5-10).

It grows well in sun or shade and tolerates a moderately dry site.

From Homepage October 1, 2007

Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) is a quick growing deciduous shrub with bright green leaves, large flat-topped clusters of white flowers which are followed by blue-black berries with high vitamin content, delicious in pies, wines and jellies. Birds are extremely fond of these fruits as are children.

There was a large Blue Elderberry in the garden of a house I owned several years ago. When I came to view the house the first time, the neighborhood children were taking turns climbing this tree and grabbing handfuls of the berries which they immediately popped into their mouths. I asked their mothers who were standing by what kind of a tree that was. They said they didn't know but the kids sure did like the fruit. Later I learned what the plant was and tasted the fruit myself. It was interesting, not exactly sweet but not sour. It did make a wonderful pie.

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