Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Up to about 20 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AK , AZ , CA , CO , CT , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MT , NC , ND , NH , NJ , NM , NV , NY , OH , OR , PA , RI , SD , TN , UT , VA , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: AB , BC , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE
Native Habitat: Woodland,Savanna,Wet Meadow/Prairie/Field,Riparian

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist , Wet

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Use Food: Although the berries are reputedly poisonous, they were very popular with the Gitxsan and were steamed or boiled into a kind of jam or cooked and served with oolichan grease. They were also mixed with black huckleberries in berry cakes and these were prized delicacies at feasts. The bark and roots were boiled and the infusion was drunk as an emetic or purgative.
Warning: CAUTION: The stems, roots and foliage are poisonous or toxic. (Traditional Plant Use) Could cause nausea if eaten raw. (Joanna Clark)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Attracts: Hummingbirds

Value to Beneficial Insects

Provides Nesting Materials/Structure for Native Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU	FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU		FACU	FACU	FACU

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 36 - Jepson eFlora (2019) The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sambucus racemosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sambucus racemosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sambucus racemosa