Elder

 Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Elder is a common sight in our countryside, it’s also one of the most recognised wild flavourings many of you. I’m sure I’ve had elderflower, cordial or champagne in the past. Elder is quite a small tree and the branches are quite brittle in May the flowers adorn the trees. These can be collected and made into cordial, infused in alcohol or my favourite made into marmalade.

The fruit of the elder tree is also a fantastic edible and said to be a very good immune booster. Excellent if you have the common cold or flu. I love the taste of the berries as a cordial, both hot and cold. It’s also lovely infused in soy sauce or balsamic vinegar.

Identifying features for elder 

• Pale brown wooded tree, the wood itself, is hollow with a sponge like centre

• There are two opposite pairs of leaves and a terminal top leaf,  these are pointed ovals and have a serrated edge

• The flowers have creamy white petals and they are in clusters. The stems for the flowers, you will find five per cluster and they branch many times before you get to the flower.

• The berries start off green where each flower was growing, and slowly become a dark, reddish purple colour. 

• The berries have a small seed inside

If you have all of these features, it’s likely you have elder

Lookalikes for elder

Dogwood (flowers)

Ground elder (leaves)

Umbellifers, such as hogweed (flowers)