Elderberries and Elderflowers
Elder is a common shrub with medicinal flowers and edible fruit
Elderberries begin to ripen in late August and hang on the trees through much of September, both a tonic and a comfort as the summer declines and winter approaches.
Neither sweet nor sour but possessing a unique and luscious flavor, the berries can be eaten fresh (although it may upset some stomachs unless cooked or dried) or used as the basis for a plethora of recipes, from chutney to wine to jam to the medicinal but tasty elderberry rob (see below).
Black elder (Sambucus canadensis) is a shrub, growing up to 30 feet or so in height, with opposite, feather-compound leaves, toothed and up to a foot long. The smooth, pale gray bark is marked by small, warty lenticels. The tiny, creamy white flowers appear in June, forming large flat-topped umbels that can be harvested for tea or tincture. The flowers that are pollinated turn into ¼-inch berries of a deep burgundy color, almost black when ripe, still in the same broad umbels, except that their weight usually causes the clusters to hang downwards, bowing the branches. The European species, Sambucus nigra, often reaches tree size and has been grown for centuries for its medicinal and magical powers. Elder is seldom cultivated in the U.S. but may be found in the wild along roadsides, in thickets and meadows, and beside streams.
The flowers are the part most often used medicinally, for a wide range of ailments, including colds and flus, fever, croup, convulsions, water retention, and skin problems such as eczema. Elder stimulates circulation, promotes perspiration, and is mildly relaxant but gentle enough for children and the elderly. The berries may also be employed for these purposes and have a tonic and blood-building tendency as well, making them useful for anemia. All other parts of the plant are somewhat toxic and should not be used except by an experienced herbalist.
Red elder is a different species that grows in the woods, flowers in April, and has bitter scarlet berries that ripen in midsummer. Red elder is quite toxic and should never be eaten or used as medicine.
Mrs. Maud Grieve’s A Modern Herbal, originally published in 1931, features eleven pages of information on elder, reflecting its commercial importance in Britain at that time. Besides its medicinal applications, elderflowers were widely used in cosmetic preparations, particularly for the elimination of freckles and the whitening of skin.
Among the many recipes provided by Mrs. Grieve is one for syrupy concoction called elderberry rob. She suggests crushing the berries, but a juicer will also work. Simmer the juice with 1/5 part sugar, cooking it down to the consistency of honey, bottle and refrigerate. This concentrate will keep for several months. She says, “One or two tablespoonsful mixed with a tumblerful of hot water, taken at night, promotes perspiration and is demulcent to the chest,” meaning that it soothes, moistens, and loosens respiratory congestion. It also tastes delicious, especially served warm over ice cream, a fitting recompense for the waning of summer.
