Blue Elderberry

Sambucus cerula

Adoxaceae

• Keystone Species
• Spokane Native
• USDA Zone 4-10
• Full Sun to Part Shade
• Size: 10’-25' wide x 15’-25' tall
• Drought Tolerant: Yes
• Evergreen: no
• Flower Color: White (May - July)
• Provides food for birds, bees, butterflies, large and small mammals

Blue Elderberry is an extraordinarily fast-growing, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree native. This vigorous, fountain-shaped species can rocket from a one-gallon pot to a 15-foot plant in just a couple of years, making it invaluable for rapid habitat creation and restoration. The large, pinnately compound leaves feature 5-9 serrate leaflets creating a lush, tropical appearance, with leaf bases that are strongly asymmetrical. In late spring to early summer (May-July), the shrub becomes covered with spectacular flat-topped or slightly domed compound cymes of tiny creamy-white flowers, each 4-20 cm across, attracting an incredible diversity of pollinators. These blooms transform into the plant's namesake feature: clusters of small berry-like drupes that ripen to bluish-black with a distinctive powdery, waxy white bloom (glaucous coating) that lends the fruits their sky-blue appearance. The bark is smooth and whitish to gray-brown. The genus name Sambucus derives from the Greek sambuca, a stringed instrument supposedly made from elder wood, while the hollow stems have historically been used as bellows to blow air into fires—giving rise to the Anglo-Saxon name meanings of "fire" or "auld." This species demonstrates remarkable adaptability and ecological amplitude, thriving in riparian corridors, streambanks, canyon bottoms, woodland edges, meadow margins, and even sun-baked rocky slopes, tolerating varied moisture and sun conditions once established. 

Extremely valuable shrub for wildlife—among the most important in western ecosystems.  Berries consumed by 30+ bird species including jays, woodpeckers, pigeons, grosbeaks, robins, thrushes, bluebirds, towhees, tanagers, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Juncos, Northern Mockingbirds, Western Tanagers, and numerous others. Critical food source during fall bird migration when berries ripen in August-September. Flowers visited by hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, and countless pollinator species. Supports specialist native solitary bees that may shelter and lay eggs in hollow twigs. Primary host plant for the federally threatened Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle in California. Larval host for Spring Azure butterflies whose caterpillars feed on leaves. Provides valuable cover and nesting sites for birds and small mammals. Bears (both black and grizzly), squirrels, chipmunks, and other mammals feast on ripe berries. Elk and deer browse the foliage, particularly palatable in fall. Dense, multi-stemmed structure creates critical protective thickets for wildlife.

Blue Elderberry possesses an extraordinarily rich ethnobotanical legacy with uses too numerous to fully catalog. The berries are highly edible when cooked (raw berries, leaves, and stems contain compounds causing nausea) and have been processed into wine, syrup, jam, jelly, pie filling, juice, and preserves for centuries—elderberry wine remains especially prized. The flowers are edible and make excellent aromatic tea or can be used in fritters and liqueurs. Native peoples throughout the West used the berries extensively, often drying them for winter storage or mixing with other berries. The bark and leaves have profound medicinal applications: applied externally for pain, bruises, swelling, and as an antiseptic; taken internally (with caution) as a laxative or to induce vomiting. Flower and berry teas treat cold and flu symptoms. The berries produce black or purple dye, while stems yield orange or yellow dye. The hard wood has been crafted into combs, spindles, pegs, and most notably musical instruments for thousands of years. Hollow stems serve as pipes, blowguns, whistles (used to call elk), fire starters, bellows, and even squirt guns. The pith was traditionally used by watchmakers for cleaning intricate tools. In Celtic folklore and mythology, elder trees were considered sacred to fairies and used in making wands. Important: Always cook berries before consumption; all plant parts except ripe cooked fruits are considered poisonous. 

Blue Elderberry excels in wildlife gardens, hedgerows, screens, forest edges, revegetation projects, slope stabilization, streambank restoration, and anywhere rapid multi-season interest is desired. While it can grow somewhat wild in form, most habitat gardeners quickly learn that birds prefer this natural structure. The species tolerates a range of conditions: full sun to partial shade, various soil types (though prefers medium to fast drainage), drought once deeply rooted (water deeply once monthly if at all after establishment), and both cool mountain climates and hot inland summers. In mild coastal zones it grows with tremendous vigor and fruits abundantly. Prune as needed to control size and shape, though superstition suggests apologizing three times when cutting elder to avoid bad luck! The flowers stimulate sweating during dry fevers, while leaves have mild laxative effects and help with rheumatism and arthritis. Best with companions like Oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Mock Orange (Philadelphus lewisii), Red-osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), native Currants and Roses, and native grasses. Plant multiple specimens to encourage heavy flowering and fruiting. Provide adequate space—this species grows huge and fast. Extremely easy propagation via semi-hardwood cuttings in July-August or hardwood cuttings in autumn; layering also possible. Seeds require warm stratification for 90 days followed by cold stratification for 90 days, or sow fresh in cold frames. Can be difficult to overwinter in pots due to rotting susceptibility, so plant out or provide excellent drainage.