956 MISC. PUBLICATION 303, U. 8S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
Sambucus spp. Elders. 
The blue- or biack-fruited species are edible at least when cocked; some red 
berries have poisoned human beings; most species grow on slightly acid soil. 
Stomach records (in addition to specific records): One hundred and eleven 
species of birds, including ruffed grouse, dusky grouse, California quail, and 
Gambel quail; opossum. Observations (in addition to specific records) : Thirty- 
four species of birds, including bana-tailed pigeon, porcupine, Clympic black 
bear. 
Sambucus caerulea Raf. (pl. 37, B). Blueberry elder. 
S. glauca Nutt., S. neomexicana Woot. 
Ranges d,-2-4,-5, 6, 7,8, 9, 11, 12, 13) 14, 
Site: Dry, well-drained, moist, sun. 
Fruit: Berry; available August—October, or rarely to December. 
Usually a large shrub, more rarely a small to large tree; flowers April—July; 
not gregarious; coppices freely, the sprouts growing as much as 15 feet in a 
single year; berries produced abundantly; wood durable in contact with the 
soil. 
Var. velutina (Dur.) Schwer., (S. velutina Dur.), the velvet-leaf elder, occurs 
in regions 4, 5, and 10. It has a limited value as browse for livestock and is 
of outstanding importance as browse for muie deer. A form of the species 
occurring in region 14 has been described as S. vestita Woot. and Standl. 
Stomach records: Nine species of birds, including ruffed grouse, California 
quail, valley quail, and Gambel quail. Observations: Ring-necked pheasant; 
much eaten by birds generally; Rocky Mountain mule deer; California mule 
deer. Worthless to poor forage for sheep; worthless for cattle in the spring 
and summer, but in the fall good to excellent. 
Sambucus callicarpa Greene. Redberry elder. 
Range: 1, 2, 4. 
Site: Dry, well-drained, moist, sun. 
Fruit: Berry; available June-September, occasionally persistent until 
December. 
Commonly a large shrub or rarely a smail to large tree; flowers April-May; 
somewhat loosely-branched; coppices freely; sprouts may grow as much as 
13 feet in one season; clump forming. 
Stomach records: Three species of birds, including sooty grouse. Observa- 
tions: Sooty grouse, band-tailed pigeon. Good sheep and fairly good cattle 
browse in the fall. 
Sambucus canadensis L. (pl. 38). American elder. 
Ranves 116. 0, 1S. 20" Ot 2 23 42 WOO ebeos aoc: 
Site: Well-drained, moist, sun, shade. 
Fruit: Berry, available August—October. 
A large stoloniferous shrub; flowers June—July; produces seed 4 years after 
sowing; the fresh leaves, berries, flowers, and roots yield hydrocyanie acid; 
eooking breaks up the cyanogenetie glucosides; grows on coal-stripped lands in 
Illinois: 175,000468,000 seeds per pound. 
Stomach records: Forty-three species cf birds, including ruffed grouse, bob- 
white, and ring-necked pheasant; composed 0.2 percent of total annudl food, and 
2.8 percent of fruit food of ring-necked pheasant in Michigan. Observations: 
Sixteen species of birds, including mourning Gove, wild turkey; an important 
food of ring-necked pheasant in Michigan; red squirrel, captive marsh rabbit, 
white-tailed deer. Highly palatable in the fall to livestock. 
Sambucus glauca, see Sambucus caerulea. 
Sambucus melanocarpa Gray. Black elder. 
Range: 4, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14. 
Site: Moist, sun, shade. 
Fruit: Berry, available July-September. 
A large shrub with comparatively thick foliage; flowers May—June; may 
occur on rocky sites. Locally valuable as a fall forage for livestock. 
Sambucus mexicana Presl. Mexican elder. 
S. caerulea arizonica Sarg. 
Ranges 52107 tie 1G) af. 
Site: Moist, sun. 
Fruit: Berry, said to be available the year around. 
A large shrub to small tree, said to be evergreen; fruit rarely matures in New 
Mexico. 
