American Elderberry (black fruit)

Cost: $16 per 10 tree bundle
Size: 12-18
Age: 1-0
Habitat: Prefers wet areas/Tolerates partial to full shade/Okay in sun

Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Deciduous Shrub
Other Names: Common Elderberry, Black Elder, Mexican Elderberry, Common Elder, Elderberry, Tapiro, Sauco

Native to the U.S., naturalized in MI
Range: Nova Scotia to Florida, west to southern Manitoba, eastern Dakotas, eastern Oklahoma and Texas
Typical Mature Height: 10-12 feet
Light Requirement: partial shade
Soils: wide variety of soils, but typically mesic slightly acidic soil
Habitat: ditches, old fields, wetlands, wet forest edges
Flower Color: white
Fruit: dark purple to black berry
Bloom Time: spring
Wildlife Value: berries consumed by birds and mammals; twigs and leaves eaten by mammals; provides nesting/habitat materials for native bees; attracts predatory insects that feed on insect pests
Uses: berries used for making preserves and wine (unripe fruits and other plant parts are toxic to humans); historically used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes
Photo by Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulurist, Bugwood.org
More Information: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SANIC4