Blackbead Elder – Sambucus melanocarpa

A.K.A.: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa

Pronunciation: sam-BEW-kus mel-an-oh-KAR-pah

Leaf: Opposite, pinnately compound, 6 - 12 inches long, with 5 - 7 lanceolate leaflets, apex pointed and margins serrate, dark green and smooth above and paler below, rachis is deeply grooved.

Flower: Perfect, tiny white flowers borne in large, upright, conical or dome-shaped clusters; have a strong odor; appearing in late spring to early summer.

Fruit: Small (1/16 - 1/8 inch), usually red, berry-like fruits, borne in upright, dome-shaped clusters; unpalatable when raw (may be TOXIC to some) but edible when cooked.

Twig: Stout, soft, and with a large spongy pith, opposite buds and leaves. New sprouts may grow 10 -12 feet in a single year.

Bark: Gray to dark reddish brown and covered with raised lenticels.

Form: Grows as an upright large shrub or small tree, commonly 8 - 20 feet tall.

Looks like: American elderberry - blue elderberry - Oregon ash - boxelder