Elder Trees

Common Elder - Sambucus canadensis (L.) Other Common Names: American Elder, Sweet Elder, Elderberry, White Elder and Blueberried Elder. The Common Elder is found throughout the province. It is a shrub 5 to I5 feet in height. The stems rise from the ground usually in clumps and extend to the tip of the shrub. The branches are ascending and the crown is generally round-topped. It prefers moist soils where it reaches its best growth. It is common on the borders of streams and along fences. The wood is of no commercial importance but the fruit makes very good wine and is also used in pies and puddings. The shrub is planted as an ornamental. Its showy, sweet-smelling, white flowers and later the multitude of purple berries add measurable to the beauty of the landscape. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Opposite, compound, 5 to 11 inches lang, almost stemless leaflets except the terminal. Leaflets are narrow and oblong in shape, wedge-shaped or rounded at base, toothed, often entire towards the base; 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, smooth, dark green above, paler somewhat downy below. FRUIT: Early autumn, rounded, berry-like about 1/4 of an inch in diameter, dark purple. Flesh crimson with crimson juice; pleasant taste. FLOWERS: June-August; perfect, cream-white, star-like, 3/8 of-an inch across, borne in broad, much-branched, flat-topped clusters. TWIGS: Stout, somewhat angled, shiny, green to yellowish-grey with large whitish pith. No terminal bud; laterals oblong, 1/4 of an inch long, flattened, light green to yellowish-green; one single cap-like scale. BARK: Pale yellowish at first with more or less bloom, later darker grey with yellow lines, finally dark or yellow-brown. Lenticels prominent. WOOD: Light, soft, not strong, coarse-grained, diffuse-porous; brownish-yellow with paler sapwood. Red-Berried Elder - Sambucus pubens (Michx.) Other Common Names: Elderberry, Elder, Mountain Elder. The red-berried elder is also common throughout this province. It is a shrub from 2 to 12 feet high. The stems rise from the ground usually in clumps and extend to the top of the shrub. The branches are ascending and the crown is generally rounded in appearance. It is common in wet places, rocky hillsides, or along stream or brooks. It also occurs scattered among stands of sugar maple, yellow birch, beech and hemlock. The wood is of no commercial importance but the cream-white profusion of flowers and later the mass of brilliant scarlet berries makes it an excellent shrub in ornamental planting. It is easily distinguished from the common elder by its scarlet berries and by its brownish pith. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Opposite, compound 5 to 12 inches long; almost stemless leaflets except the terminal. Leaflets 3 to 5 inches long, narrow and often bilateral at base, sharply toothed, acuminate at tip, dark green, nearly smooth above, paler green and downy below. FLOWERS: April-May; perfect, small, cream-white, borne in pyramidal compound clusters; bisexual. FRUIT: Early summer, rounded, juicy, berry-like about 1/8 of an inch in diameter, brilliant scarlet, containing 3 to 5 nutlets. Flesh yellow and unpleasant to taste. TWIGS: Stout, somewhat angled grey to pale brown, pith large orange to brownish. Buds oval 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, scales pale grey to brownish-purple. No terminal bud, 4 or more scales visible. BARK: Pale grey, dotted with many brownish lenticels; older stems brown, having a rough and warty appearance. Tree Identification Alder Trees Ash Trees Aspen Trees Beech Trees Birch Trees Cedar Trees Cherry Trees Dogwood Trees Elm Trees Fir Trees Hawthorn Trees Hazel-nut Trees Hemlock Trees Holly Trees Ironwood Trees Maple Trees Oak Trees Pine Trees Serviceberries Spruce Trees Sumac Trees Tamarack Trees Willow Trees Winter-Berry Trees Withe-Rod Trees The Land Heritage Roads Townshend Woodlot Air & Sky Seashore Streams & Ponds Copyright Souris Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation All pictures appearing on this site or its associated flickr account are the property of the photographers and the Souris & Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation. They may not be copied without permission of the photographer and the Souris & Area Branch of the P.E.I. Wildlife Federation.