Plant Name:  Sambucus racemosa
Common name: Red Elderberry

Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub or Small Tree
Plant Height: 10’ – 20’
Width:  8′-10′
Bloom Time: April – July
Flower Color: Creamy White Flowers Followed by Bright Red Berries.
Exposure: Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Moist, Well Draining Loamy, Silty, Nutrient Rich.
Water Needs: High Moisture
Attributes:  Nectar for Hummingbirds; Fragrant Flowers; Attracts Butterflies; Deer Resistant.
Note: Susceptible to Viral Canker, Powdery Mildew, Leaf Spot, Cane Borers.

Uses: Soil Stabilization; Wildlife Garden; Hedge.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 – 7

” Warning: Red Elderberry Fruits are not edible when raw, but when cooked they make a good jam, pie, and wine.” (Oregon State University)

Report By: Viki Ashford, AGC member & Master Gardener

Photos from: Oregon State University https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/sambucus-nigra-subsp-cerulea