PLANT of the MONTH   ~~   AUGUST 2008
updated on or about the 1st of each month

ELDERBERRY Common Name(s): Elderberry, Mexican Elderberry, Western Elderberry Scientific Name: Sambucus mexicana Family: Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle family Plant Type: Deciduous shrub or small tree Size: up to 25 feet high and wide Common Habitat: woodlands, open areas and chaparral

Elderberry is a shrub whose showy blossoms in late spring turn over to clusters of bluish-purple, edible berries in late summer. The tiny, creamy-white, 5-petalled flowers occur in flat-topped bunches from April to August. The bunches are up to 8 inches wide and can be seen from quite a distance. The pea-size berries that follow are used in making jams, pies and wine. Many kinds of birds flock to the fruit and bees frequent the flowers. The leaflets have toothed edges and are about 2 inches long, arranged on branches that are opposite and pinnately compound. The base of the plant usually is multi-trunked.

It is said that aside from the berries, the other parts of the plant are considered poisonous, and contact can cause certain discomforts such as nausea or worse. Nonetheless, native people did find a number of other uses. The flowers, when dried, made a tea for soothing fevers and flu, and were also applied to the skin to relieve itching or ease the pain of sprains. In addition to eating the berries, they were also used as dye. Roots, bark and leaves have diuretic properties. Roots and bark were also used to ease constipation. The branches and trunk were used to make bows, and in hollowing them out they formed a flute-like musical instrument. The species name Sambucus refers to a musical instrument called a sambuke.

Contributed by Liz Baumann

ARCHIVES of past Plants of the Month:
July 2008: Scarlet Larkspur (Delphinium cardinale)
June 2008: Fringed Indian Pink (Silene laciniata)
May 2008: Mariposa Lily (Calochortus species)
April 2008: Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
March 2008: Shooting Star (Dodecatheon clevelandii)
February 2008: Eucrypta (Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia)
January 2008: Manzanita (Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Arctostaphylos glauca)
December 2007: Fire's Impact on Plants of the Santa Monicas - Volume 1
November 2007: California Aster (Lessingia filaginifolia, Corethrogyne filaginifolia)
October 2007: Turkey Mullein (Eremocarpus setigerus)
September 2007: Wild Heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum)
August 2007: California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)
July 2007: Calabazilla (Cucurbita foetidissima)
June 2007: Speckled Clarkia (Clarkia cylindrica)
May 2007: Prickly Poppy (Argemone munita)
April 2007: Wild Cucumber (Marah macrocarpus)
March 2007: Large-Flowered Phacelia (Phacelia grandiflora)
February 2007: Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum)
January 2007: Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)
December 2006: Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
November 2006: Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
October 2006: Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium)
September 2006: Vinegar Weed (Trichostema Lanceolatum)
August 2006: Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia)
July 2006: Woolly Blue Curls (Trichostema lanatum)
June 2006: Yucca (Yucca whipplei)
May 2006: Monkey Flower (Mimulus Species)
April 2006: Lupine (Lupinus Species)
March 2006: Ceanothus (Ceanothus Species)
February 2006: Wild Peony (Paeonia californica)
January 2006: Purple Nightshade (Solanum xanti)
December 2005: Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

REFERENCES:
Wildflowers of the Santa Monica Mountains, by Milt McAuley - link to Amazon.com
Flowering Plants: The Santa Monica Mountains, Coastal and Chaparral Regions of Southern California, by Nancy Dale - link to Amazon.com
Roadside Plants of Southern California, by Thomas J. Belzer - link to Amazon.com
California Native Plants for the Garden, by Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O'Brien - link to Amazon.com
California Herbal Remedies, by LoLo Westrich - link to Amazon.com