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Home -> Shop By Store -> Elderberry and Elder (berry) flowers and leavesElderberry and Elder (berry) flowers and leavesOther Common Names:Elderberry Parts Used: leaves, flowers, berries. Elderberry and Elder (berry) flowers and leaves The American elder (canadensis) , also known as Elderberry, is small tree that grows to 12 feet and is native to North America. The European elder (nigra) grows to 30 feet, is found throughout Europe, Asia, North Africa, and has been naturalized in the United States. The tree has been called "the medicine chest of the common people. The flowers, leaves, berries, bark and roots have all been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries. The fruits have been used to make elderberry wine, and when cooked, can be used in pies and jams. The berries contain more vitamin C than any other herb except rosehips and black currant. The Elderberry also has a rich background of cultural superstitions. In the Middle Ages legends held that tree was home to witches and that cutting down one would bring on the wrath of those residing in the branches. Early Native American tribes employed the long, straight, hollow stems that became woodier with age for arrows and especially selected some in the springtime, dried them with their leaves on, pushed out all the soft and poisonous pith with hot sticks, and made either spouts for gathering maple and other sap or bored holes in them to fashion flutes. This gave the medicinal its added name of "tree of music." Some hunters who still use the old ways to track their game have bugled in elk with an elderberry whistle and have soon brought down a handsome buck. Elderberries prefer rich, moist soil and are usually found in heavily forested areas, on rocky slopes, and in cool ravines. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. The fruit is a berrylike drupe, containing 3 to 5 one-seeded nut lets or stones. Wisdom dictates that only a few be eaten raw lest stomach upset occur. They are much better dried or cooked, but are more delicious when combined with tastier berries. Certain conditions bring about an excess of mucus accumulation in the lungs. Asthma, bronchitis, the common cold, influenza, and smoking or inhaling second-hand smoke can all result in a buildup of phlegm. A little bit of fresh elderberry juice, especially from the red drupes, is quite effective in promoting a discharge of such sticky yellow or green mucus from the body. Elder leaves contain the flavonoids rutin and quercertin, alkaloids, vitamin C and sambunigrin, a cyanogenic glucoside. Fresh elder leaves also contain hydrocyanic acid, cane sugar, invertin, betulin, free fatty acids, and a considerable quantity of potassium nitrate. Elder flowers and elder flower water have been used in a variety of ways topically and as a tonic mixture. History: A wealth of folk-lore, romance and superstition centre round this English tree. Shakespeare, in Cymbeline, referring to it as a symbol of grief, speaks slightingly of it as 'the stinking Elder,' yet, although many people profess a strong dislike to the scent of its blossom, the shrub is generally beloved by all who see it. In countrysides where the Elder flourishes it is certainly one of the most attractive features of the hedgerow, while its old-world associations have created for it a place in the hearts of English people. Historical or traditional use: Topically for infections, inflammations and swelling. As a wash for skin healing and complexion purification. As a tea and cordial to sooth sore throats, speed recovery from cold and flu and relieve respiratory distress. Cooked and used in jams and conserves. Care: Prefers sandy or loamy soil rich in humus and nitrogen. Full sun or partial shade. |
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