Just a quick update to add to the photo collection… some great photos of Sambucus mexicana, or the blue elderberry found in warmer climates (I’ve seen Mexico and California specifically mentioned; not sure where else exactly). Also called the Mexican elder, and sometimes lumped in with Sambucus canadensis, the North American elder. Note the hazy color of the ripe berries… if they were a bit larger, I’d say they were a dead ringer for blueberries!
The Mexican elder’s a smaller version of the other more popular elders, growing only to a meter or so - meaning it maintains its shrub designation while the canadensis and nigra tend to grow into more of a small tree. I’d link to a place to buy Mexican elder, but frankly, I haven’t found any yet.
3 responses so far ↓
1 david biggs // Apr 27, 2008 at 10:54 am
Sambucus mexicanus is available widely from native plants nurseries in Southern California. I planted one and it has grown rapidly here (Riverside CA) to about 20 feet (!!!) in three years. I don’t know if its a hybrid or what, but its no 1m shrub! You might also look for botanical gardens’ plant sales. UC Riverside has one in the spring and one in the fall and I believe the Sambucus m. they sell in the fall. A wonderful wonderful plant, excellent screen, too.
2 Deborah Daily // Jul 4, 2008 at 5:11 am
I concur with David in the comment he made about the vigorous growth habit of Sambucus mexicanus. I was gathering berries yesterday on Figueroa Mountain in the Santa Ynez Valley, Ca. and came upon a 20-25′ specimen with new growth shoots still evident. They grow like weeds around here (lucky us!).
3 Paul Terhune // Jul 6, 2008 at 5:20 pm
They certainly do grow to small tree size in California. Native Americans used elder wood from S. mexicana for self-bows suitable for small game and the small hollow trunks for flutes.
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