Sambucus racemosa

Sambucus racemosa is medium-sized shrub growing (rarely ) tall. The stems are soft, with a broad pith. Each individual leaf is composed of 5 to 7 leaflike leaflets, each of which is up to (rarely to ) long, lance-shaped to narrowly oval, and irregularly serrated along the edges. The leaflets have a strong disagreeable scent when crushed. The inflorescence is a vaguely cone-shaped panicle diameter, consisting of several cymes of flowers and produced on the ends of stem branches. The flower buds are pink when closed, and the open flowers are white, cream, or yellowish. Each flower has small, recurved petals and a star-shaped axis of five white stamens tipped in yellow anthers. The flowers are fragrant and visited by flies (particularly hoverflies), hummingbirds and butterflies. The fruit is a bright red drupe (to purple-black in var. melanocarpa) containing 3 to 5 seeds. It is eaten by birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. Its fruit persists for an average of 42.5 days, and bears an average of 3.0 seeds per fruit. Fruits average 88.0% water, and their dry weight includes 8.3% carbohydrates and 9.0% lipids, which is one of the highest lipid values among European fleshy fruits. == Varieties and subspecies ==

• Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa — Rocky Mountain elder, native to the Western United States and Western Canada, including the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. • Sambucus racemosa var. microbotrys (Rydb.) Kearney & Peebles – Southwestern United States • Sambucus racemosa subsp. pubens — American red elder, native to North America • Sambucus racemosa subsp. racemosa — European red-berried elder. Other subspecies formerly included in S. racemosa include S. racemosa subsp. kamtschatica (now Sambucus kamtschatica), S. racemosa subsp. sibirica (now Sambucus sibirica), and S. racemosa subsp. sieboldiana (now Sambucus sieboldiana). == Distribution and habitat ==

It is native to Europe, northern temperate Asia, and North America across Canada and the United States. It grows in riparian environments, woodlands, and other habitats, generally in moist areas. == Cultivation ==

Sambucus racemosa is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for use as a shrub or small tree in traditional and wildlife gardens, and natural landscape design projects. • Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' — green foliage, with bronze new growth: it has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. == Toxicity ==

The stems, roots and foliage are poisonous, and the fruit can be toxic or cause nausea if eaten raw. == Uses ==

Although potentially poisonous when raw, the berries are reportedly safe to eat. They were cooked in a variety of recipes by indigenous peoples, including the Apache, Gitxsan, Goshute, Makah, Nuxalk, Ojibwe, Quileute, Skokomish, and Yurok peoples. The uses included as an emetic, antidiarrheal, cold and cough remedy, dermatological and gynecological aid. ==Images==

File:0 Sambucus racemosa - Vallorcine.JPG|Young leaves and flower buds of subsp. racemosa File:Sambucus racemosa 6269.JPG|Inflorescence and foliage of subsp. pubens File:Sambucus racemosa ies.jpg|Clusters of berries of subsp. racemosa File:Sambucus racemosa melanocarpa 151656864.jpg|Fruit of var. melanocarpa File:Sambucus racemosa 1567.JPG|Close-up of fruit of subsp. pubens File:Sambucus.racemosaGoldenGatePark.jpg|Sambucus racemosa in Golden Gate park. File:Sambucus.racemosaSF.jpg|Sambucus racemosa in San Francisco. File:Sambucus.racemosa.leaves.SF.jpg|Detail of leaves. File:Sambucus.racemosaLeaves&FlowersinSF.jpg|Leaves and fruits. ==References==