Sambucus nigra - Black Elder

Sambucus nigra, commonly known as the black elderberry, is a large bush or small tree that is widespread and familiar in our countryside and fallow fields! It is a wild-looking species with an open, loose habit that often regrows from the stump. Its deciduous leaves are large, odd-pinnate, and emit an unpleasant odour when crushed. The flowers bloom in late spring in wide, flat, cream-white clusters, which are both aesthetically pleasing, fragrant, and attractive to pollinators. They are followed by berries that start off red and then turn black, which are highly appreciated by birds and edible for humans once cooked. They are used to make wines, syrups, and jams. This species is essential for creating beautiful bocage hedges and providing shelter and a food source for many species that are important for the ecological balance of the garden. Black elderberry is perfectly hardy and adapts to all types of soils, exposed to full sun or partial shade.

Sambucus nigra has an open and rounded habit and reaches 6m (19ft 8in) in all directions. It belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. It is a widespread wild species in Europe, North Africa, and as far as Asia Minor. Black elderberry is an opportunistic and highly adaptable wild species, found in open woods, hedges, fallow lands, coastal dunes, and even near human settlements, where it has coexisted for millennia. It is therefore an undemanding bush and very easy to grow anywhere. As a nitrophilous species, it indicates a high presence of nitrogen in the soil. Its young branches, filled with tender pith, were hollowed out in ancient times to make flutes. It is also a medicinal plant, with its flowers easily used in infusions to combat urinary and respiratory infections. Its leaves, initially light green and then dark, are large, about 30cm (11.8in) long, and consist of 5 to 7 ovate, pointed, and dentate leaflets. The flowers, in large corymbs measuring 10 to 24cm (3.9 - 9.4in), have 5 stamens and 5 cream-white petals and appear from May to June. The fruits are in the form of a cluster of berries measuring 6 to 8mm (0.2 - 0.3in), initially red and then violet-black, and are carried by a bright red pedicel. The bark is light green and then gray, cracked, fissured, lenticellate, and becomes spongy with age.

Easy to grow, black elderberry can be planted in spring or autumn, in any ordinary soil that is not too poor, deep enough, and not too dry, although it tolerates periods of temporary drought in deep soil once well established. It requires little maintenance. Plant it in a sunny location for better flowering and fruiting, but it also tolerates partial shade. It is not demanding regarding soil type, accepting clay, limestone, sand, and even degraded soils. The ideal planting mix is half compost and half garden soil. It is very hardy. To promote flowering, prune the old branches back hard to rejuvenate them and cut back the young branches by one-third in late winter. You can also choose to grow it as a tree by regularly pruning the shoots and suckers at its base and along its trunk.