Sambucus racemosa L. var. racemosa

Red elderberry, redberry elder, red-berried elder

Some elderberries

	Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea	You are here Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa
Common Name	blue elderberry	red elderberry
Plant	This woody shrub reaches heights of 20′ (6.1 m), with main branches up to 1½″ (3.8 cm) in diameter. Upright branches, composed of soft pithy wood, eventually bend into arches.	Forms a rounded shrub up to 20′ (6.1 m) in diameter, consisting of many stems emerging from a central point. Upright branches, composed of soft pithy wood, eventually bend into arches.
Leaves	Opposite, in clusters of 3-9, up to 8″ (20 cm) long, and oval to lance-shaped.	Opposite, in pinnate groups, each 1¾–6″ (5–15 cm) long and about ¾–2″ (2–6 cm) wide, with sharply serrated edges. The leaves, flowers and branches have a disagreeable odor when crushed, smelling like “a cross between skunk cabbage and Ailanthus,” according to Will Cook.
Flowers	White or cream-colored, in flat-topped clusters up to 6″ (15 cm) around.	Tight umbrella-shaped clusters, white with a pink tinge, about 3–5″ (7.6–12 cm) around.
Fruit	Spherical, blue-black in color, with a white powdery surface that makes them look lighter.	Red elderberry berries are ... well ... red (or, just to keep you guessing, rarely yellow or white). They are up to ¼″ (6.3 mm) in diameter, in dense clusters.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 4-10	USDA Zones: 3-9
Habitats	Mixed conifer forests, forest-steppe transitions, open talus slopes, at high elevations, in full sunlight.	Streambanks, ravines, swamps, moist forest clearings and higher ground near wetlands from sea level to 1.8 mi (2.9 km) in elevation.

Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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