Elderberries
Elderberries are fruit from the genus Sambucus in the Viburnaceae family of plants. There are about 20 or so different species found around the world; in the Pacific Northwest, we have two native species, the blue elderberry and the red elderberry, as well as two cultivated, non-native species.
The main species consumed in the world is the black elderberry, Sambucus nigra. The native blue elderberry and the American black elderberry are also edible and very similar. There has been longstanding debate whether the blue elderberry and the American black elderberry are species of their own; currently, genetic research seems to point to them being subspecies of Sambucus nigra.
Species
Elderberries
Black elderberries
Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea)
European elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. nigra)
American black elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis)
Red elderberry
Red elderberry ()
Black elderberries
There are three closely related and highly similar subspecies of black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) seen in the Pacific Northwest.
All three can be used interchangeably. Blue elderberry, S. nigra ssp. cerulea, is native. The two other species, S. nigra ssp. nigra, from Europe, and S. nigra ssp. canadensis, from the eastern side of North America, are often planted in Pacific Northwest gardens.
Although it is called blue elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea is a subspecies of black elderberry that is native to western North America, with a range extending from southern California up to British Columbia and into Idaho and Montana. It is also found scattered throughout the Great Basin region and the southwest United States. As its habitat range would suggest, the plant itself is more tolerant of summer drought and heat.
The most visible difference with the other black elderberries is that the berries have a powdery blue coating. Although it is seldomly used for commercial production, the blue elderberry is was commonly consumed by indigenous groups in their native range.
The European black elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. nigra, is native throughout Europe and distributed around the Mediterranean. This is the best-known elderberry and the most consumed species; the fruit has a long history of use in European cuisines.
The American black elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, is native to eastern Northern America up to the Great Plains. It grows better in areas with cooler and wetter climates than the other two species.
Cooking with black elderberries
In our region, black elderberries flower around late spring to early summer and produce fruit in late summer and early fall.
Given that raw elderberries contain toxic compounds, the fruit should be cooked before eating. Traditionally, black elderberry is processed into jellies, syrups, liqueurs, and wines. The flowers from black elderberries are also commonly harvested and made into syrups, teas, and liqueurs (a well-known elderflower liqueur is St.-Germain).
Toxicity of black elderberries
Elderberry plants contain a toxic compound called “sambunigrin”. Sambunigrin is a cyanogenic glycoside than breaks down into hydrogen cyanide when digested and can cause illness in humans. The plant’s unripe berries, leaves, bark, and seeds contain higher levels than the ripe berries do. Additionally, cooking the berries reduces the levels of sambunigrin in the fruit to negligible levels.
It is with good reason that traditionally, elderberries have always been cooked before they are consumed. It’s also best practice to separate all stems and leaves from the berries before cooking to reduce the amount of sambunigrin in the final product. A further step would be to remove the seeds as well. Humans are able to metabolize small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides without harm; apples and other Roseaceae family fruits also contain similar compounds in their seeds but these are of no risk in small amounts.
Flowers can be eaten raw, but are often processed anyways to extract their flavor.
To recap: only eat cooked, ripe berries, and flowers from the elderberry shrubs.
Red elderberries
Red elder shrubs are a common sight throughout the forests of the Northwest Coast.
When taking into account the several subspecies of red elder in the world, its range extends across cool temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.
It has been established that red elderberries are edible and were collected by indigenous people in western North America, but reports as to their palatability range from being good to often unpleasant. I don’t currently have enough personal experience with this plant to be able to make my own judgement call. It appears that red elderberries were often mixed with other, better-regarded berries when processed. It’s also often reported that the flowers were consumed, similarly to other species of elderberry.
