Nature Table - Elder Tree

ELDER (Sambucus nigra)

The elder is a native deciduous tree that can reach 10 metres in height, although it’s more often a much smaller shrub, particularly when it grows in hedgerows. It was originally an under-storey tree in deciduous forests. Even a 10 metre specimen is at a disadvantage in a forest because it can’t compete for light against much taller species like oak, ash or elm.

To compensate for this the elder breaks bud very early in the year and gets several months of photosynthesis done while the taller trees are still bare-branched. At present the buds are swelling rapidly. They are a dull purple-pink and scaly, like miniature pineapples. In milder areas the first leaves will appear in a few weeks time, one of the earliest signs of spring. They will be followed, in season, by the clumps of strong-smelling, creamy-white flowers which will ripen into dark purple berries. Although the ripe berries and the flowers are used to make various drinks and preserves the leaves and the unripe berries are poisonous.