Red Elderberry Flower

Did you know

• Unlike black elderberry, red elderberry fruits in pyramidal rather than flat-topped clusters.
• The raw berries and seeds are mildly toxic — they must be cooked thoroughly to be safely consumed.
• Birds adore the bright red berries, making this shrub a top-tier wildlife food source.
• Red elderberry blooms earlier than black elderberry, often flowering before the canopy fully leafs out.
• The soft, pithy stems were traditionally hollowed out by Indigenous peoples to make blowguns and flutes.

Color meanings

Uses

• wildlife habitat
• native hedgerows
• cooked fruit preserves
• streamside restoration