columbia river gorge: blue and red elderberry
December 28th, 2007 · 1 Comment
Two great pages here, showing closeup photos of the blue and red elderberry plants. The blue elderberry, one of the subsets of Sambucus nigra, is edible, while the red elderberry, or Sambucus racemosa, has been said by many people to have trace poisons in it, and is not to be eaten! Looking at the photos I can see differences in the shape of the flower clusters, but I don't think I'd trust myself to tell them apart that way. The bright red of the berries looks unmistakeable, though.
Tags: growing & harvesting
1 response so far ↓
1 Maria // Sep 2, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Hi, I found an elderberry bush (I believe the Mexicana species) near me in the California Delta and I picked them and made pie and jam. The pie and jam were very good but along the way I ate a handful of raw ones. Within a few hours I was as sick as a dog: nausa, headache, etc. I have been reading and it seems raw elderberries as well as the stems and leaves are not good for you! I still feel sick today (second day). Does anyone know more about the affects of elderberry poisoning or issues with getting sick from elderberries. I am wondering if I should go to the doctor. Please help!
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