This thicket forming shrub shrub with bright green leaves has large, flat showy clusters of white, fragrant flowers in spring. The flowers are followed by clusters of dark purple to black, berrylike fruits in late summer and fall. The fruit is attractive to birds and mammals and may be used to make jelly, pie and wine. It is high in antioxidants.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Plant Type: Shrubs
Native Environment: Forest
Season of Interest: Mid (May - June), Late (July - frost)
Main Color: White
Fall Color:
Hardy From Zone:
Hardy To Zone:
?
Hardiness Zones
as defined by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; (hardiness zones are not recorded for all Grow Native! plants)
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Medium Sun/Average Shade
Soil
Moisture
Moderate, High
Nature Attracting
Pollinators/Beneficial Insects
Wildlife Benefit
Food/Birds, Food/Small Animals, Butterfly / Moth Nectar
Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
5 to
12
feet
Spread:
5 to
12
feet
Size
Height: 5 to
12
feet
Spread: 5 to
12
feet
Size
Height: 5 to
12
feet
Spread: 5 to
12
feet
Typical Landscape Use
Mass in naturalized areas where suckering spread is acceptable. Also effective in shrub borders, roadside plantings, wet or low areas or as a screen.
Establishment and Care Instructions
Grow in full sun to part shade. Adapts to a variety of soil types. Spreads by root suckers to form colonies. Prune out dead or weakened stems in early spring.
Special Features
Special Usage
Fragrant
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
Check out the Grow Native! Committee’s Top Ten picks of native plants for a particular purpose.
What’s the Next Step?
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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.