Sambucus canadensis (American elder)
American elder is a native Northeast shrub with flat-topped clusters of flowers followed by dark berries. It commonly occurs along wet ground, stream edges, and roadsides.1
The name elderberry covers several species and several gathered plant parts. Accurate identification matters, and the fruit is usually processed rather than eaten raw.1
Cooking is more than a matter of taming tartness: elderberries contain lectins that heat inactivates. Their dark color comes from abundant anthocyanin pigments, which also readily color syrups, wines, and preserves.2
American elder is native to Maine and supports many bird species, which is part of why fruit harvest can be competitive in the landscape.1
Footnotes
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Native Trees and Shrubs for Maine Landscapes: American Elder,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, rev. ed. (Scribner, 2004), PDF p. 379. ↩