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Sambucus racemosa

Caprifoliaceae

Red Elderberry

Sambucus racemosa
Shrub or small tree with smooth, dark reddish brown bark. Leaves deciduous, with 5–7 leaflets. Leaflets, often with asymmetric base, are 2–6 in. long, lance-shaped with pointed tip, with small sharp teeth, dark green, hairless on top, lighter on underside with small hairs. Flowers small, dense in a broad oval cyme, 5 cream petals. Berries red without white wax. Grows in moist places below alpine. Var. racemosa differs, with stiff hairs on underside of leaf especially along veins; common on moist, open, logged areas and woods near coast to mid-elevations. Var. melanocarpa is similar but has black fruit and is found more often east of Cascades.

  • Rarity: Locally Common
  • Flowering Time: Early Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: 6--18 feet
  • Habitat: Coastal, West-Side Forest
  • Found In: Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np, West Gorge, N Cascades Np
  • Native: Yes

Map of where plant is found