fauntleroy tree walk
Pacific red elderberry
lushootseed name:
latin name:
sambucus racemosum ssp. pubens
family:
adoxacea, the moschatel family
Habitat
This species resides west of the Cascade Crest from Alaska to northern California. You find them from sea level to mid-elevations in swampy thickets, along stream banks, and moist, sunny forest openings, meadows, and even roadside.
Identification
growth habit
This shrub to small tree can reach up to 20 ft tall. It can be found as a single shrub along the trail or in dense thickets in swampy areas like this.
leaves
Lance-shaped, sharply toothed leaves with a prominent beak and arranged in an opposite pattern.
flower
Dainty white to cream flowers with spreading petals adorn this plant. Flowers are arranged in a branching pattern that forms a cone-shaped structure called a “raceme,” giving it its name racemosum. The flowers have a kitty litter-like smell. Botanizing by scent and touch can be very useful!
fruits
Stalks become covered in small, brilliant red, fleshy berries.
bark
Red to purple-brown, warty stems branch into light green leafing stalks.
Look-a-likes
You might mistake this plant for oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor) due to the similar white-cream raceme arranged flowers. Pay close attention to the leaves to spot the difference. Oceanspray has smaller, egg-shaped, and lobed leaves, while Pacific red elderberry has long, sword-shaped leaves with prominent teeth. The leaves of oceanspray are also arranged in an alternating pattern along the stem, while Pacific red elderberry is in an opposite arrangement. Opposite leaf arrangements are uncommon and are a helpful characteristic.
Ecology
This species is a hardy species that can even grow in heavy-metal contaminated sites, being a great soil restoration plant. The vigorous root systems of this species are also able to stabilize soil and reduce erosion.
This plant helps hold the park’s steep hillsides in place to prevent sedimentation of the creek. Birds like cedar waxwings, band-tailed pigeons, and robins enjoy these berries in late spring to mid-summer. Deer, elk, and raccoons enjoy these berries, and even bears use them when the salmon supply is low.
You can hear the flutter of hummingbird wings near this plant April–May as the birds relish elderberry flower nectar. In the winter, deer and elk will browse on branches.
All parts of this plant are slightly toxic, but perhaps the frost dilutes the toxins and makes the plant more palatable for these mammals. Dense thickets like this provide shelter for small birds and mammals from sun and rain.
This plant is not able to grow in the full shade of Douglas fir and Western red cedar canopy but rather thrives in the sunlight patches along wetland corridors.
Ethnobotany
Despite the recent focus on elderberry in immune boosting, the use of Sambucus racemosum is not recommended, as all parts of this species are slightly toxic. The common elderberry that is used in immune health is Sambucus nigra, European elderberry.
Some Coast Salish groups would remove the toxic seeds and boil Pacific red elderberry berries and leaves to make them more palatable. It has been used as a food source in jams and wines, and mixed with the highly regarded oolichan grease (smelt fish oil).
Other uses include the onset of vomiting for detoxifying purposes, sinus infections, reducing blood pressure, and even in cancer treatment!