Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis

elderberry, American elder

Adoxaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

10-15 ft, at least as wide as it is tall, sometimes wider.

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

blue,purple,black

Phenology:

Deciduous in the north, evergreen in the south. Blooms spring-summer (into fall in the south).

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Casual settings, wetland edge or screen plant. Rain gardens and bioswales. Long bloom period.

Considerations:

Many would consider this plant weedy: it does self seed and spread via rhizomes. It's wood is weak; stems break easily. Use where these characteristics do not matter. Prune to help it keep reasonable is size and shape. Cut to the ground periodically to make more bushy and form a screen. Clonal: sends up shoots in the vicinity.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Stays wet ---- to ---- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds, Birds, Mammals

Flowers attract many pollinators.

Fruits popular with birds.

Native Habitats:

Disturbed wetland edges, wet roadsides, etc.