Black Elderberry

Sambucus nigra

Willow

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Viburnaceae
Genus:: Sambucus
Species:: Sambucus nigra

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Shrub , Tree
Height:: 12-20 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:: Low
Bloom Months:: mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug
Bloom Colors:: white

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Palau, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming, Canada: British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:: ★★★☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Acerra normalis, Achatodes zeae, Admetovis oxymorus, Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Anaplectoides pressus, Attentive Dart (Eueretagrotis attentus), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Burdock Borer (Papaipema cataphracta), Callima argenticinctella, Catocaline Dart (Cryptocala acadiensis), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), elder sallow (Zotheca tranquilla), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Feralia februalis, Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Paradiarsia littoralis, Phlyctaenia coronata, Proteoteras moffatiana, Smith's Dart (Xestia smithii), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), Tetracis crocallata, Trichordestra tacoma, Unicorn caterpillar moth (Schizura unicornis), wheatear sallow (Lithophane fagina), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), zebra caterpillar moth (Melanchra picta)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:: 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: prefers fertile soils with high organic matter

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Seeds require warm and cold stratification for 60 days, with some requiring .001 Molar Gibberellic Acid (GA 3). No scarification required.

Establishment: Seeds are collected from various sources, including local collectors and hand collection. Germination typically occurs in the spring after an overwinter period of cool, moist natural stratification. The length of the establishment phase varies, but is typically 1 month after emergence in the spring or 4-6 months including the natural stratification period.

Source: npn.rngr.net