Elderberry for what ails you
Sambucus caerula
“ I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries.”
Sambucus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to genetic and morphological comparisons to plants in the genus Adoxa.
Sambucus racemosa
There are several species of elderberry native to Arizona. The taxonomy of the genus has been changing a lot in the past few decades, so don’t feel bad if you aren’t sure which species you have. The most common species available in Arizona at nurseries are Sambucus caerula and S. canadensis. But occasionally, especially at nurseries that specialize in native plants, you may find S. racemosa or S. nigra.
Although the ripe, cooked berries (pulp and skin) of most species of Sambucus are edible, uncooked berries and other parts of plants from this genus are poisonous. Leaves, twigs, branches, seeds, roots, flowers, and berries of Sambucus plants produce cyanogenic glycosides, which have toxic properties. The flowers are edible made into tea, or made into fritters.
Elderberries naturally want to be shrubs.
The fruits are wonderful made into preserves, or into elderberry wine. Each species has its own flavor. The fruits and flowers are said to have much medicinal value: used for the common cold, influenza, and "swine" flu. It is also used for HIV/AIDS and boosting the immune system in general. Elderberry is also used for sinus pain, back and leg pain (sciatica), nerve pain (neuralgia), and chronic fatigue syndrome.
In the low desert Elderberry is a summer-deciduous tree or shrub. That means that they drop leaves or turn yellow in the summer. Some people may think their tree is sick, but this is just what they do. They may drop their leaves in winter too, depending on the species and location.
Elderberry is best planted in a protected location with afternoon shade from a structure or tree, especially in the summer. It is best to have more than one specimen to get fruits. Plant in well-amended soil, mulch with a nice, coarse compost or hay, and feed regularly with an organic plant food. In our region, elderberry species are riparian species, so keep them evenly moist.
They usually are large shrubs in the low desert, but very happy plants can reach tree size. most often about 15’ or so, though they can get taller. Elderberries used to be more common at our elevation when the water table was lower, and they can still be found wild in the Tubac area along the Santa Cruz river.