Sambucus racemosa

European Red Elder

Caprifoliaceae

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Habitat

  • native to Europe
  • hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

  • a deciduous shrub
  • multi-stemmed
  • 8' to 12' tall
  • medium texture
  • fast growth rate

Summer Foliage

  • opposite leaf arrangement
  • odd-pinnately, compound leaves
  • 5 to 7 leaflets
  • 6" to 9" long
  • elliptic to linear leaf shape
  • sharply serrated margins
  • dark green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

  • not ornamentally important

Flowers

  • yellowish-white flowers
  • borne in 5" long panicles
  • blooms in May
  • showy

Fruit

  • red fruit
  • 0.25" in diameter
  • matures in July attracts wildlife

Bark

  • brown. slender stems

Culture

  • transplants easily
  • prefers moist soil
  • pH adaptable

Landscape Use

  • naturalized effect
  • bogs
  • for fruit

Liabilities

  • powdery mildew
  • leaf spot

ID Features

  • usually no terminal bud
  • brown and small lateral buds

Propagation

  • by seed
  • by division
  • by semi-hardwood cuttings

Cultivars/Varieties

'Plumosa' - This form only differs with the deep serrations on itsleaflets, creating a finer-textured appearance. 'Plumosa Aurea' is a common specialty plant valued for its cut leaves that emerge bright yellow and fade to green by mid-summer.

'Sutherland Golden' (also listed as 'Sutherland Gold') - The leaflets of this plant are incised deeply and hold a golden yellow color. Similar, but smaller, is 'Goldenlocks' (also listed as 'Golden Locks'). This new form only reaches 3' tall.

'Tenuifolia' - This is a less vigorous grower most notable for its ferny cut leaves.

© Copyright Mark H. Brand, 1997-2015.

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Citation and Acknowledgements: University of Connecticut Plant Database, http://hort.uconn.edu/plants, Mark H. Brand, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Storrs, CT 06269-4067 USA.