Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Fruits, Herbs, Shrubs
Tree
Origin
Australia, South America
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Adams Elderberry, Black Beauty Elderberry, Black Lace Elderberry, Johns Elderberry, Nova Elderberry
-
Number of Varieties
03
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Farms, Homesteads, Near organic waste disposal
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-84-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
9-1
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
9.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
8.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Purple, Red
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Early Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Part sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Slightly Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Part sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in winter, Prune ocassionally, Remove deadheads
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Canker, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Stem spot, Tomato Ringspot Virus
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
-
Allergy
Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
constipation, Fever, Heart problems, High cholestrol, HIV/AIDS, Nerve pain, swine flu
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Whole plant
Other Uses
-
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
Sambucus nigra
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Elderberry
River Birch
In Hindi
Elderberry
River Birch
In German
Holunderbeere
Fluss Birch
In French
Sureau
Birch river
In Spanish
Saúco
river Birch
In Greek
Elderberry
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Sabugueiro
river Birch
In Polish
Bez czarny
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Elderberry
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Dipsacales
Fagales
Family
Adoxaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Sambucus
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
303
1
27800
👆🏻