European Red Elder, Red Elderberry

I tried S. pubens, Scarlet Elder, but it appears it is a syn. This bush is very shade tolerant, and birds left seedlings all over my yard...Read More, even though the closest bush is not visible. Birds loves this species. I am trying it as a bush for the shade.

Blooming time is early spring, often after a long enough warm spell. For me, this is one of a small group of native bushes that blooms in early spring along with the hepticas and other early blooming plants. If you have a elderberry that blooms in early spring, this is it. If it blooms in early summer it may be American Elderberry or Black Elderberry. Leaves appear with the blooms, but don't expand to their full size until the flowers are finished. Seedlings appear under old specimens of old fashion lilac, and even under trimmed evergreen trees.

Too bad this species is not used more often, preferably breeding a compact plant, as birds love it, and it is a few fully shade-tolerant tree that will bloom and produce berries, even in woodland shade. So far, trimming it back each year, for two years, has made it a bit more compact and branching.

I would like to omit 'European' from the name as it is inaccurate, and this species by the broad definition as stated on the internet, is not from Europe only, but is circumboreal and is made up of many former species put together as one.

Update: April 16, 2008: It seem to be less drought tolerance and need to be watered more often. It have survived even a late spring snowstorm and hard freeze when it broke buds in early April. I have found that one differs a bit from the others into that it have purplish leaves and flower buds when immature but becomes normal green leaves and white flowers later into spring. The wood is very light, being hollow and what's left is soft white pith.

European Red Elderberry grows as an upright large shrub or small tree, commonly 8 to 20 feet tall. The leaves are opposite, simple, pinn...Read Moreate, compound; stipules are absent or minute. Tiny white flowers are borne in large, upright, dome-shaped clusters and have a strong odor when they appear in May/June.

The fruit is small (1/16" to 1/8"), usually red and berry-like borne in upright, dome-shaped clusters; unpalatable when raw - and may be TOXIC to some - but edible when cooked.