red elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size8 to 12 feet tall8 to 15 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Tree
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- White
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is a shrub for woodland gardens, borders, hedges, and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to wet soil of most types. Fragrant white flowers open in spring, and the red fruits are grown for wine, jelly, and pies, but cook them first. Deer tend to pass it by. It spreads by root suckers, so give it room.
Pairs well with Sensitive fern, American hornbeam, and Jack in the pulpit.
Native range
North America and Eurasia.