Black elderberry

Short Description

Black elderberry is a shrub and can grow up to 11 meters high.

A leaf usually consists of 5 partial leaves, which end with a single terminal leaflet (unpaired pinnate). The leaves are arranged in pairs opposite each other on the stem. They are oval and serrated at the edge.

The bark is gray-brown and has longitudinal furrows.

The small, white flowers have 5 petals. They are arranged close together at the same height, similar to a bouquet of flowers (cymose corymb). They have a fruity fragrance.

The fruits are black and round. They look like berries. They hang in clusters on the bush.

In the city

Similar to stinging nettle, black elder prefers sites with a particularly high nitrogen content in the soil. Nitrogen often enters the environment through agriculture and traffic, and so elderberry is often found in areas that have been heavily impacted by humans. This can be the case from forest edges to rubble sites in the city.