Red Elderberry

Well I have to admit, I had no personal knowledge of the Red Elderberry plant (Sambucus racemosa) other than driving by the old Elderberry Inn on US 26 on the way to the coast! We did end up stopping there around 2006 on one trip to get coffee and try out the pie. It was actually very tasty!

The plant can grow to 20ft and older ones look more like trees with multiple trunks. The flowers are white and quickly move on to the stunning red berry fruit. This year I spotted berries first at lower elevations in natural areas (Rood Bridge Park, TH Nature Park). The bloom and berry timeline seems to be sooner this year than typical. The white flower bloom below was at Stub Stewart State Park on 6/06/2013).

The USDA website warns that eating the berries without proper preparation can be toxic! Native Americans used the berry for a diuretic and a laxative, so that tells you something!

 

Berries seen at TH Nature Park 5/30/2013