Botanical
More of a bush than a tree, elder has sharply toothed spear-shaped leaves, with
five to seven leaves paired on each twig. The twig itself contains a soft, white
milky pith, and the leaves often have a rather acrid smell. This odour reflects
the particular gift of the elder, which is to transform the organic substances
it grows in and rebalance the soil.
Typically it is found with nettles on old
dumps, where the soil is full of nitrogen. The elder roots spread out initially
from a gnarled centre, checking for nutrients and, when found, grow downwards.
New shoots can appear from any part of its trunk at any time. Elder grows
equally well in banks and hedges (where it is excellent for layering), by rivers
or in open woodland. Large rings of strongly scented, bisexual flowers appear in
June, and their creamy-white clusters change in autumn to the shiny black juicy
berries that hang heavily from the tree.
Both flower and berry are commonly used for many varieties of wine. However, every part of elder - bark, root and leaves - can have use and Sambucus is made from the elder, which treats infection. It can also be used to treat irrational fears, or bad dreams and psychosomatic illness.
honeysuckle family: caprifoliaceae elder (sambucus nigra) .