Sambucus nigra (elder)

Sambucus nigra is widespread in Europe and western Asia, and also occurs in North Africa. Elder is commonly found growing in woodlands and hedgerows.

Flowers of Sambucus nigra (Image: William Milliken)

Elder is a shrub or smallish tree with flat-topped clusters of tiny, white, scented flowers. After flowering, the dark purple fruits (berries) hang in large clusters. The leaves are made up of five or seven serrated leaflets, and have a distinctive smell. The clusters of white flowers are pollinated by insects, especially hoverflies. Sambucus nigra flowers in May to July and produces fruits between September and October.

Elder is widespread and not threatened. It grows readily and quickly in a wide range of habitats both in rural and urban areas, where its flowers attract insects and its berries provide an important food source for birds such as blackbirds and thrushes.

Kew’s Sustainable Uses of Plants Group undertook a survey of commercial uses of wild and traditionally managed plants in England and Scotland for the Countryside Agency, English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage to determine the economic role of wild plants and to assist in their sustainable use. Although (as noted in the Uses section) plantations of elder have been established, the survey revealed that elderflower is still gathered from the wild in large quantities for the production of cordial and wine. For example, one drinks company employs some 600 people in May and June to collect elderflowers from hedgerows – an indication of the importance of elder to the rural economy and to the food and drink industry.

Jodrell Laboratory at Kew Gardens (Image: RBG Kew)

Kew is collaborating with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, Chelsea Physic Garden, Neal’s Yard, the Eden Project and the Natural History Museum in a project called Ethnomedica (or “Remembered Remedies”) to collect and preserve the wealth of knowledge about local uses of plants as medicines in the U.K. Collection of data began in 2003 and so far about 5,000 remedies have been gathered and entered into a database, preserving knowledge that may have otherwise been lost. Among the “Top 10” remedies emerging from the project is the use of elder for treating coughs and colds. The project is not just preserving knowledge purely for its historical interest, but also for its practical value. Documenting the actual and potential medical values of plants through the Ethnomedica project can indicate possible lines of scientific research, for example to identify active compounds present in plants – research that is currently underway in the Jodrell Laboratory at Kew. Who knows which new medicine of the future might owe its origin to the remedies of the past?

Kew's Millennium Seed Bank partnership aims to save plant life world wide, focusing on plants under threat and those of most use in the future. Seeds are dried, packaged and stored at a sub-zero temperature in our seed bank vault.

Number of seed collections stored in the Millennium Seed Bank: 2
Seed storage behaviour: Orthodox - the seeds of this plant survive drying without significant reduction in their viability, and are therefore amenable to long-term frozen storage such as at the MSB.
Germination testing: Unsuccessful
Composition values: Oil content 26.9%, Protein 12.3%

Sambucus nigra (Image: William Milliken)

This species will grow well in most soil types, and seeds itself readily. At Kew, cuttings are taken from selected cultivars. Unfortunately many of the cultivars at Kew are old plants from which it is harder to strike cuttings. Success rates are typically around 50%, and would be much higher from younger plants. The first cuttings from the old plants are grown on and then the resulting new plants used to provide semi-ripe cuttings in the summer. These are more successful. These cuttings are placed in the sand bed in the Arboretum Nursery. They quickly form a callus, making roots by the following summer. After the cuttings have produced roots they are planted into the nursery field area, where they are grown for two more years before being planted out into their final positions in the gardens.

Propagation can also be carried out by collection of the seed in early autumn. This should either be sown in pots kept outside, or given cold stratification and grown on in a cool greenhouse.

Young growth of the species can be subject to aphid attack in some years.

In 2011, Kew partnered with The Times to produce a show garden to showcase the significance of plants to science and society.

The garden, designed by Chelsea gold medallist Marcus Barnett, featured species chosen to demonstrate both beauty and utility, including medicinal, commercial, and industrial uses to underline the fact that plants are invaluable to our everyday lives – without them, none of us could live on this planet; they produce our food, clothing and the air that we breathe.

Sambucus nigra was one of the species that featured in the garden, which was awarded a Silver Medal.

- Find out more about the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show

- Browse some of the other plants that featured in the garden

Find out more on Natural England's website

Ethnomedica Remembered Remedies - Researching the herbal traditions of Britain

Medicinal Uses of British Plants