Blueberry Elder – Sambucus glauca

A.K.A Sambucus cerulea var. cerulea

Pronunciation: sam-BEW-kus glou’-cah

Leaf: Opposite, pinnately compound, deciduous, 6 to 12 inches long, with 5 to 9 lanceolate leaflets (2 1/2 -6 1/2 inches long), apex pointed and margins serrate, dark green and smooth above and paler below, leaflet pairs are equally spaced along the rachis (the "stem" of a compound leaf).

Flower: Perfect, tiny white flowers borne in large, upright, flat-topped clusters, appearing in early summer.

Fruit: Small (1/16 to 1/8 inch), dark blue to black drupes (berry-like) fruits covered with a white bloom, borne in upright, flat-topped clusters. Not listed as being toxic to humans when eaten raw, but why take a chance when red elder is toxic?

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

Bark: Grayish brown to black and covered with raised lenticels.

Form: Grows as a large upright shrub or small tree, commonly to 20 feet or more.

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

Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea - blue elderberry Greek "Sambuca" a stringed instrument made from elder wood / black, Latin "cera" (waxy - leaves)