Sambucus racemosa
Red Elderberry
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.Red Elderberry’s clusters of creamy-white flowers bloom May-June, and provide nectar to native bees and butterflies. The berries are...
Description:
Red Elderberry’s clusters of creamy-white flowers bloom May-June, and provide nectar to native bees and butterflies. The berries are reputedly poisonous and are inedible to humans, but are an attractive food source for birds. Hollow stems offer nest sites and nest materials to native bees. Red Elderberry attracts beneficial predatory insects, which prey on garden insect pests. Use Common Elderberry as a small specimen tree or large shrub in borders around your yard.
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Shrub
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer
Bloom Colors: White
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Bees and Other Pollinators, Butterflies, Birds
Salt Tolerance: Low to None
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: All Regions in NJ
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy, Clay
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil pH: Slightly Acidic, Neutral, Slightly Alkaline
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Full Sun
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 8 - 12 ft
Spread: 8 - 12 ft
Growth Rate: Fast