Blue Elderberry (Sambucus Caerulea)
Planting native plant species protects fragile plant and wildlife populations by providing housing and food.
Creating an urban biological preserve instead of traditional landscaping can support hundreds of tree, animal, plant, insect, fungi, and microbe species.
And it looks a lot better than grass, let's be honest.
Elderberry plants are particularly magical when it comes to conservation because they provide cover for small mammals and birds, are also great for erosion control, and are tolerant of heavy metal contamination, so are instrumental in restoring habitats around mining and smelting sites.
Blue Elderberry Habitat
Sambucus is a genus with 5-30 species depending on how they are “lumped” or divided. Most are native to the northern hemisphere, with a few in Australia (and neighboring islands) and South America.
Blue Elderberry, American Elderberry, and Red Elderberry are the only Elder species native to the United States.
Its native habitat/range is in open areas of mixed conifer forests and forest-steppe transitions, in chaparral, sage scrub, grassland, and wetland-riparian habitats, at high elevations, from southern British Columbia to California; to western Montana through west Texas.
Identifying Elderberry Plants
Blue Elderberry has opposite, relatively large, pinnately-divided compound leaves with 5-9 broadly lance-shaped, smooth, toothed leaflets. Tiny creamy white flowers are borne in flat-topped clusters. Berries are bluish-black with a waxy bloom, making them appear powdery blue. Twigs are soft and pithy.
Elderberry is especially attractive in woodland gardens. Its vase-like, arborescent form creates an umbrella-like canopy over smaller woodland shrubs. Overgrown plants can be severely pruned.
Phenology
Blooms April-July; Fruit ripens: July-August.
Propagation
Stratify seeds warm for 90 days, then stratify for 90 days at 40ºF (4ºC), or sow as soon as seeds are ripe in a cold frame. Scarification may speed up or increase germination rates.
The heat from a fire can crack the hard seed coat, and it has been shown that seeds have faster and higher germination rates after passing through the digestive tract of birds or bears. Light may also improve germination rates. Seeds may require two years to germinate.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood may be taken in July or August; cuttings of mature wood of the current season’s growth in late fall. Suckers may be divided and dug in the dormant season.
Use by People
The berries can be steamed on rocks and put in a container stored. Although they have sometimes been eaten fresh, it is advisable to always cook the berries before eating; raw berries may cause nausea. The seeds are considered poisonous. Cooked berries can be made into wines, sauces, or jellies.
Medicinal Properties
Leaves, bark, or roots can be applied externally to abscesses, aching muscles, or sore joints. Roots or bark can be chewed or made into tea to induce vomiting or as a laxative. Flowers can be boiled down to treat coughs and colds.
Use by Wildlife
Many birds eat the berries, including thrushes, robins, grouse, and pigeons. Squirrels, mice, raccoons, and bears also eat the fruit. Bears will also eat the foliage and the roots. Porcupines, mice, and hares eat the buds and bark in winter. Flowers are pollinated by bees, flies, and the wind. Fruit-eating birds and mammals disperse the seeds.
We Can Help you Get Started!
Urban Rewilding can help with native plant landscape designs, builds, and gardening services. So no matter what point you are at in your rewilding process, we can give you a hand.
We don't use any chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. All the plants we use are native to the Pacific Northwest and do not need to be watered after the first year.
Landscape Installation
Urban Rewilding is licensed, bonded, insured, and super excited to plant native trees, bushes, shrubs, ferns, mushrooms, and moss in your urban garden!
Adding biodiversity to an urban garden creates a resilient ecosystem that supports native birds, bees, bugs, and other wildlife. It also creates the potential for healthy, sustainable, organic food production that requires no water or chemicals.
We can solve invasive species, erosion, water damage, and pollution issues with native plants.
Book a one-hour consult with a professional native plant landscaper to find out how we can fix your problems with native plants.
Gardening Services
Urban Rewilding aims to create beneficial native plant ecosystems in urban areas to protect vulnerable wildlife and humans from the issues that arise from dense urban areas.
Hiring us to maintain your urban yard will mean that we will add native plants from other yards wherever we never use chemicals and create lush, healthy soil, remove any overgrown or unwanted native plants, and use them in other yards! We will cultivate a healthy yard that will become part of rewilding more and more and more!!!!
Book a consultation with a gardener, or send us an email with photos, and we can get you on our regular maintenance schedule today!
We protect native plants at all costs!!!
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