British Native Trees
and Shrubs

Elder Sambucus nigra (Caprifoliaceae)

The shutter of time darkening ceaselessly
Has whisked away the foam of may and elder
And I realize how now, as every year before,
Once again the gay months have eluded me ….

August
Louis MacNeice [1907-63]

Elder is one of the most vigorous and productive English trees, establishing itself with speed and soon laden with great, flat-topped clusters of creamy-white blossom followed by masses of striking, glossy black berries on red stalks. In sheltered spots its deciduous leaves brave the late winter. Often more of a shrub than a tree, it grows to around 5 m but can be twice that height in a favourable spot. Young shoots arise almost from ground level, smooth at first with marked pores, and the mature tree is covered with thick, ridged, grey-brown bark. Sometimes opening as early as January in a mild winter, the pinnate leaves have five to seven ovate to elliptic leaflets, each up to 9 cm long with toothed margins, and occasionally lasting until December. In June and July the tiny, musky-scented, five-petalled, yellow-white flowers appear at the tips of young shoots in large flat panicles up to 20 cm across, followed in August and September by heavy, hanging bunches of round black fruits each containing up to five seeds.

Elder is widespread in woods, hedgerows, scrub and rough ground throughout England, commonly on calcareous or nitrogen-rich soils such as farmland or those which have been manured.

This adaptable plant can be grown as a shrub or a free-standing tree, in the wild garden or as a hedge as long as there is sufficient space. It will grow in sun or semi-shade and on most moist but well-drained soils. It may be damaged by very hard frosts but will regenerate quickly and is very tolerant of pruning which it may need to keep it under control. Both flowers and berries are edible. Elder is easily propagated from hard wood cuttings taken with a heel in autumn and then planted out a year later. It can be raised from seeds extracted from the berries, stored outside in moist sand, sown outside in winter, and grown on before setting out in a permanent site a year later.

Both flowers and fruit of elder are edible and rich in Vitamin C, used for making wine and jam. The flowers can be dipped in batter and fried or they can make a refreshing cordial, and an elderflower infusion was once used for treating coughs. The hard wood was used for small items such as pegs, spoons and toys, and the tree produced three dyes: black from the bark, green from the leaves and blue from the flowers.

The flowers produce nectar which attracts pollinating flies and beetles as well as swallowtail moths. The early crop of berries provides a feast for most resident birds including blackbirds, song thrushes, starlings and greenfinches as well as summer visitors like blackcaps and garden warblers. Blue tits eat the seeds and comma butterflies enjoy the juice of the fermenting berries.

Page last updated - January 10, 2002  

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