Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
- Native to:
- Albania, Aleutian Is., Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czechia-Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Labrador, Netherlands, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Prince Edward I., Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States
Walter Siegmund (talk)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Viburnaceae
- Genus:
- Sambucus
- Species:
- Sambucus racemosa
- USDA Symbol:
- SARA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 600 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white, cream, yellow
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
- Hummingbirds:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented hummingbird visits (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fall Color:
- yellow
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown following fire or cutting. Often increases in abundance after disturbance.
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 cool, forested environments
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–180 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require warm stratification followed by cold stratification (double dormancy). Germination can be erratic and may take up to two years.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds: Cold moist stratification for 90 days or 6 months in a refrigerator or garage (33-42 degrees F). Cuttings: Treated with Domain fungicide bath for two minutes and 2000 ppm IBA rooting hormone. Some protocols suggest no special treatment or pretreatment is necessary.
Establishment: There is some variation in the pre-treatment and establishment protocols for seeds and cuttings. The germination rate and time range are based on the protocols with the highest germination rates. The temperature for germination is only given for cuttings. The protocols suggest that S. racemosa can be propagated from both seeds and cuttings.
Source: npn.rngr.net
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 4C for 3 weeks, then place @ 20C.