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Common Elderberry

Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis

Other common name(s):

Black Elder, Mexican Elderberry, Common Elder, Elderberry, Tapiro, Sauco

Family:

Adoxaceae (Adoxa Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland
Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

6
to
12
ft.

Spread

5
to
12
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Acid, Rich, Moist

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium, High

Native Habitat

Woodland, Wetland or Riparian

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

Prune heavily in winter to maintain thick form. Elderberry is a fast grower. Individual plants are very short-lived, however root masses produce new shoots to form colonies. Cutting the whole bush back every other year may be necessary to keep the bushes in check. Remove new shoots if space is an issue. Propagation: Softwood cuttings, Seed.

Comments

Blooms May-July. Black elder is a loose, graceful, deciduous shrub with both woody and herbaceous branches. Many long stems arise from the base, arching at the top. Pinnately-compound leaves up to 12 inches long, opposite, 4 to 6, paired leaflets and a terminal one. Leaflets oval with toothed margins. Small white flowers arranged in broad, flat, clusters, appearing from May to July. Fruit berrylike, dark purple when ripe.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Sambucus caerulea var. mexicana, Sambucus canadensis, Sambucus canadensis var. laciniata, Sambucus canadensis var. submollis, Sambucus cerulea var. mexicana, Sambucus mexicana, Sambucus orbiculata, Sambucus simpsonii

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SANIC4. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Sambucus+nigra+subsp.+canadensis&formsubmit=Search+Terms 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=24206&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=525079#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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