Sambucus cerulea
Encyclopedia
Sambucus cerulea, common name Blue Elderberry and Blue Elder, is a coarse shrub
species of elder in the family Adoxaceae
.
The taxonomy of this species is in dispute, and it can be referred to by several different names. The USDA lists it as Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea (see Sambucus nigra
), while California's The Jepson Manual
identifies it as Sambucus mexicana, and the Sunset Western Garden Book identifies it as both S. mexicana and S. caerulea.
shrub, which can grow to be 9m (30ft) in height and 6m (20ft) in width, becoming tree-like if trained into dominant trunks. It is distinguishable from other elderberries by the glaucous
powder coating on its bluish-black berries. It normally grows rather wildly from several stems, which can be heavily pruned (or even cut to the ground) during winter dormancy.
The leaves are hairless, strongly pointed and sharp-toothed. They are elliptical to lanceolate
, and the blade extends unequally on the stalk at the base. The leaves are commonly 3-15cm (~1-6in) long and 2-6cm (~1-2in) wide.
The white or creamy coloured flowers, occurring May to June, are numerous and form a flat-topped cluster usually about 5-20cm (2-8in) wide. They are umbel-shaped, normally with 4 to 5 rays extending from the base. The flowers have a strong, unpleasant odor. Individual flowers are 4-7mm wide.
The fruits are berry-like drupes. They are juicy, round, and approximately 4-6mm in diameter. They are bluish-black
appearing as a pale powdery blue colour. Each fruit contains 3 to 5 small seed-like stones, each enclosing a single seed.
This species lives on low to moderate elevations in the mountains in valley bottoms, along streams, and on open slopes where it is somewhat moist.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
species of elder in the family Adoxaceae
Adoxaceae
The Adoxaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Dipsacales, as now constituted comprising four genera and about 150-200 species. It is characterised by opposite toothed leaves, small five- or, more rarely, four-petalled flowers in cymose inflorescences, and the fruit being a drupe...
.
The taxonomy of this species is in dispute, and it can be referred to by several different names. The USDA lists it as Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea (see Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra is a species complex of elder native to most of Europe.It is most commonly called Elder, Elderberry, Black Elder, European Elder, European Elderberry, European Black Elderberry, Common Elder, or Elder Bush when distinction from other species of Sambucus is needed...
), while California's The Jepson Manual
The Jepson Manual
The Jepson Manual, Higher Plants of California is a collection of identification keys to help biologists identify the vascular plants within the state of California...
identifies it as Sambucus mexicana, and the Sunset Western Garden Book identifies it as both S. mexicana and S. caerulea.
Description
Sambucus cerulea is a large, deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
shrub, which can grow to be 9m (30ft) in height and 6m (20ft) in width, becoming tree-like if trained into dominant trunks. It is distinguishable from other elderberries by the glaucous
Glaucous
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...
powder coating on its bluish-black berries. It normally grows rather wildly from several stems, which can be heavily pruned (or even cut to the ground) during winter dormancy.
The leaves are hairless, strongly pointed and sharp-toothed. They are elliptical to lanceolate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
, and the blade extends unequally on the stalk at the base. The leaves are commonly 3-15cm (~1-6in) long and 2-6cm (~1-2in) wide.
The white or creamy coloured flowers, occurring May to June, are numerous and form a flat-topped cluster usually about 5-20cm (2-8in) wide. They are umbel-shaped, normally with 4 to 5 rays extending from the base. The flowers have a strong, unpleasant odor. Individual flowers are 4-7mm wide.
The fruits are berry-like drupes. They are juicy, round, and approximately 4-6mm in diameter. They are bluish-black
appearing as a pale powdery blue colour. Each fruit contains 3 to 5 small seed-like stones, each enclosing a single seed.
Distribution
Sambucus cerulea is found in western parts of Montana. It also occurs from southern British Columbia to California, Arizona, and New Mexico.This species lives on low to moderate elevations in the mountains in valley bottoms, along streams, and on open slopes where it is somewhat moist.