Sambucus Caerulea * Blue Elderberry * Edible Berries * Juicy Fruit * 20 Seeds *

Sambucus cerulea with the common names blue elderberry and blue elder, is a coarse textured shrub species of elder in the family Adoxaceae. Sambucus cerulea is native to the Western United States, northern Mexico, and British Columbia. It is found from the Pacific coasts, through California and the Great Basin, to Montana, Wyoming, and Texas. it is a large, deciduous shrub, which can grow to be 9 metres in height and 6 metres in width. The white or creamy coloured flowers, occurring May to June, are numerous and form a flat-topped cluster usually about 5-20 cm (2-8 in) wide. They are umbel-shaped, normally with 4 to 5 rays extending from the base. The fruits given are berry-like drupes. They are juicy, round, and approximately 4-6 mm in diameter. They are bluish-black appearing as a pale powdery blue colour. Each fruit contains 3 to 5 small seed-like stones, each enclosing a single seed. The taxonomy of this species is not finalized, and it is classified by several different botanical names besides Sambucus cerulea. Both the current USDA database and The Jepson Manualof California flora classify the plant as Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea. Sambucus is cultivated as an ornamental plant by plant nurseries, for planting in traditional, native plant, andhabitat gardens. It is also used for natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects. It can become a multi-trunk tree when trained from youth with only several dominant trunks. The plant is beneficial in wildlife gardens, its flowers attract pollinators, butterflies and hummingbirds, and its berries feed other bird species and chipmunks.