The Sambucus racemosa that we commonly call red elderberry on the coast, is one of many subspecies of S. racemosa in British Columbia. The red elderberry in our coastal forests is a deciduous plant native to temperate areas of Asia, Europe and North America (US National Plant Germplasm System n.d., Natural Resources Conservation Service n.d.).
Description:
S. racemosa is a large shrub that can grow up to 6 m in height. The multiple brown stalks arch upwards with many branches. The older stalks have small wart-like bumps on the surface (Klinkenberg 2017). The compound leaves are deciduous, emerging in the spring. Each compound leaf is composed of 5 to 7 leaflets that are 5 to 15 cm long with serrated edges (Natural Resources Conservation Service n.d.; Pojar & MacKinnon 1994). Clusters of small and creamy-white flowers appear in the spring soon after the leaves emerge.
Ecology:
Red elderberry grow well in moist soils and are often found along streams or ditches, swampy sites, and disturbed areas such as forest clearings (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada 2015; Kuhnlein & Turner 1991; Pojar & MacKinnon 1994). They are shade tolerant but can be found in forests with open canopies (mixed deciduous and coniferous).
Reproduction and Dispersal:
After pollination, the cluster of small white flowers develops into small, bright red and fleshy berries. The berries are attractive to birds, which eat the flesh and disperse the 3 to 5 seeds in each berry (Natural Resources Conservation Service n.d.).
Although the purple berries of one subspecies of elderberry are edible, the red berries found growing on the coast may cause nausea if consumed raw (Pojar & MacKinnon 1994). Despite their toxicity, red elderberries have been a historically important food source for indigenous people of North America, and evidence of large concentrations of seeds has been found on the northwest coast (Kuhnlein & Turner 1991, Losey et al. 2003). The berries can be consumed if processed correctly (Losey et al. 2003).
References cited:
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. 2015. Red elder. Government of Canada. [accessed 2018 Jan 29]. http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/science-and-innovation/agricultural-practices/agroforestry/shelterbelt-planning-and-establishment/selecting-trees-and-shrubs-species/red-elder/?id=1345845931784.
Klinkenberg B, editor. 2017 E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [accessed 2017Jan 9]. http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Sambucus%20racemosa
Kuhnlein HV, Turner NJ. 1991. Traditional plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples: Nutrition, botany, and use, vol. 8. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach. [accessed 2017 Jan 20].
http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/other/ai215e/ai215e00.HTM.
Losey RJ, Stenholm N, Whereat-Phillips P, Vallian H. 2003. Exploring the use of red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) fruit on the southern Northwest Coast of North America. Journal of Archaeological Science. 30( 6): 695–707.
Natural Resources Conservation Service. n.d. Plant fact sheet: Red elderberry. United States Department of Agriculture. [accessed 2017 Jan 20]. https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_sara2.pdf
Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 1994. Plants of coastal British Columbia: including Washington, Oregon & Alaska.
Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing.
US National Plant Germplasm System. n.d. Taxon: Sambucus racemosa L. United States Department of Agriculture. [accessed 2018 Jan 29]. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=33001.
Klinkenberg B, editor. 2017 E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [accessed 2017Jan 9]. http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Sambucus%20racemosa
Kuhnlein HV, Turner NJ. 1991. Traditional plant foods of Canadian indigenous peoples: Nutrition, botany, and use, vol. 8. Amsterdam: Gordon and Breach. [accessed 2017 Jan 20].
http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/other/ai215e/ai215e00.HTM.
Losey RJ, Stenholm N, Whereat-Phillips P, Vallian H. 2003. Exploring the use of red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) fruit on the southern Northwest Coast of North America. Journal of Archaeological Science. 30( 6): 695–707.
Natural Resources Conservation Service. n.d. Plant fact sheet: Red elderberry. United States Department of Agriculture. [accessed 2017 Jan 20]. https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_sara2.pdf
Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 1994. Plants of coastal British Columbia: including Washington, Oregon & Alaska.
Vancouver: Lone Pine Publishing.
US National Plant Germplasm System. n.d. Taxon: Sambucus racemosa L. United States Department of Agriculture. [accessed 2018 Jan 29]. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=33001.