Find a plant:

OR Browse All Plants


{name}

Sambucus canadensis (American elder, Elderberry)

Sambucus canadensis Photo/Illustration: Steve Aitken



Be the first to rate this plant

Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Sambucus canadensis sam-BOO-kus kan-ah-DEN-sis Common Name: American elder, Elderberry Genus: Sambucus
A familiar native shrub, American elderberry is commonly seen along streambanks and roadsides and in moist woodlands and thickets throughout eastern North America. It has pinnate leaves with toothed leaflets and small white flowers borne in large flattened clusters in summer. Purple-black, round fruit comes next, attracting wildlife to the garden. Elderberries typically grow to about 12 feet high, but they tolerate pruning to a smaller size. Fruit is edible when cooked.
 Noteworthy characteristics: Elderberry is native to eastern North America. It's a good wildlife plan, with its numerous white flowers in summer and purple-black berries in late summer and fall. All parts of the plant can cause severe discomfort if eaten, but fruit is safe when cooked.
 Care: Grow in average, medium to wet, humusy soil in full sun to part shade. Prune out dead or weakened stems in early spring. Can be hard pruned if needed to restrict size.
 Propagation: Sow seed in containers in autumn in an open frame. Take hardwood cuttings in winter or greenwood cuttings in early summer. Colonizes by root suckers.
 Problems: Powdery mildew, canker and dieback, rust, virus diseases, fungal leaf spots, borers.
Height 10 ft. to 15 ft.
Spread 10 ft. to 15 ft.
Growth Pace Moderate Grower
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium to Wet
Maintenance Moderate
Characteristics Attracts Birds; Attracts Butterflies; Native; Showy Flowers; Showy Foliage; Showy Fruit
Bloom Time Summer
Flower Color White Flower
Uses Beds and Borders, Roadside, Screening, Waterside
Seasonal Interest Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type Shrubs

Plants you might also like

Rosa rugosa var. alba Rosa rugosa var. alba
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This variety has single, papery white blossoms that open from light pink buds and have contrasting yellow stamens. The heavily-scented flowers are followed by reddish-orange hips. It grows up to 6 feet high.
Rosa 'Charles Albanel' Rosa 'Charles Albanel'
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This spreading rose grows to only 2 feet tall, making it an ideal groundcover for a steep bank or roadside. It produces fragrant, double, deep-pink blossoms from spring to fall.  
Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert' Rosa 'Blanc Double de Coubert'
(Hedgehog rose, Ramanas rose, Japanese rose, Sea tomato) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

The white of this rose has a purity of color that is without equal. It produces semi-double, very fragrant flowers from spring to fall, which are sometimes followed by orange hips. It grows to 6 feet high and wide.   
Cephalanthus occidentalis Cephalanthus occidentalis
(Buttonbush, Button willow, Honey balls) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A native small tree found in wetlands from Minnesota to Florida and from New England to California, buttonbush can reach 8 to 15 feet tall and is often wider than it is tall. Prune it into a small multi-trunked tree to reveal the curly bark of its young stems and the punctuated pale spots of its older stems. Blooms are extremely rich in nectar and attract butterflies and other insects.
Viburnum prunifolium Viburnum prunifolium
(Blackhaw Viburnum) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Blackhaw Viburnum is a large shrub or small tree with clusters of creamy white flowers followed by pink-rose berries, which birds love to eat. Its distinctive bronze-green foliage on reddish purple stems turns blue-black in the fall. Blackhaw grows to 12 to 15 feet high and 8 to12 feet wide.