# European black elderberry

*Sambucus nigra*

The name 'Elder' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word 'aeld', meaning fire, because its hollow stems were used as bellows to blow air into the heart of a flame.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Dipsacales › Viburnaceae › Sambucus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Woodland edges, nitrogen-rich hedgerows, scrubland, and waste ground.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (Sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- **Range:** Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, North America
- **Size:** 3 to 6 meters in height
- **Lifespan:** 60 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Agricultural intensification leading to the removal of traditional hedgerows and pesticide drift.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to the touch, but all parts except the flowers and fully ripe, cooked berries are toxic. Do not ingest raw berries, leaves, or bark as they contain cyanogenic glycosides which cause nausea and vomiting. If raw parts are consumed, monitor for symptoms and seek medical advice if distress occurs.

## About

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## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/f0ffbd2a-5a26-4950-b486-1ae51fe23d0b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/765394
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus nigra
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/39872800/medium.jpeg (Attila Oláh, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.