European Elderberry Plant – 1 Small Plant

Sold as a single small European Elderberry Plant, grown from cuttings.

Scientific name:Sambucus nigra

The flowers and fruits contain a mildly poisonous alkaloid that is destroyed by cooking.

Compound pinnate leaves, dark green in colour. Each leaf is 5–30cm long and the leaflets have serrated margins. The flowers are small, white and 5–6mm in diameter, appearing in a flat-topped cluster in late spring to summer. They are hermaphroditic (have both male and female parts). The fruit is a glossy, dark purple to black berry, 3–5 mm diameter, produced in drooping clusters in late autumn.

The Elderberry Plant is widely cultivated for its fruits and as a medicinal plant.

European Elderberry Plant Culinary Uses

• The dark purple berries can be eaten when fully ripe (cook the berries first – do not eat it raw, as it can cause nausea and diarrhea) and is also used to make jam, jelly and chutney.

European Elderberry Plant  Medicinal Benefits

• The leaves, flowers, fruits and root extracts are used to treat bronchitis, coughs, upper respiratory infections and fever.