Elderberry Sambucus Nigra Fruit ILLINOIS RANGE

elderberry Sambucus nigra Kingdom: Plantae FEATURES Division: Magnoliophyta Elderberry is a member of the honeysuckle family. Class: Magnoliopsida This plant may take the form of a shrub or a small Order: Dipsacales tree. Its stems are erect, branched and smooth. The twigs are stout and have large, white pith. Lenticels Family: Caprifoliaceae (raised spots used for gas exchange) are common on ILLINOIS STATUS the bark. Leaf scars are large and have connecting lines between them. The small buds are green or common, native brown in color. The bark is brown. Its pinnately compound leaves are arranged opposite each other on the stem. Each leaf is usually four to 11 inches long and has five to 11 leaflets. The smooth leaflets are lance-shaped to oval, pointed at the tip and toothed along the edges. A single leaflet may be six inches long and two and one-half inches wide. Large, flat-topped clusters (up to one foot wide) of small, white flowers are produced. Each flower has five, white petals. The fruit is a spherical, purple berry that may be as much as one-fourth inch in diameter. The berry usually contains four, brown, wrinkled seeds. The plant may attain a height of 12 feet.

fruit BEHAVIORS Elderberry may be found throughout Illinois. It grows along roadsides and in moist woods. Flowers are produced in June and July. All parts of the plant ILLINOIS RANGE produce hydrocyanic acid, although the berries are edible and provide food for many bird species.

fruit on plant

Aquatic Habitats bottomland forests

Woodland Habitats bottomland forests; southern Illinois lowlands

Prairie and Edge Habitats edge