Sambucus nigra L.

European black elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

Sambucus nigra is a temperate species of tree or shrub in the family Viburnaceae native to the Azores, Europe, and the Middle East. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry fertile soils, primarily in sunny locations. The plant is widely grown as an ornamental shrub or small tree.

Source: Wikipedia

Synonyms 44

Sambucus alba, Sambucus aurea, Sambucus columnaris, Sambucus dissecta, Sambucus elegans, Sambucus floribunda, Sambucus florida, Sambucus hirta, Sambucus laciniata, Sambucus leucocarpa, Sambucus linearis, Sambucus lucida, Sambucus medullosa, Sambucus monstrosa, Sambucus pulverulenta, Sambucus pyramidata, Sambucus rotundifolia, Sambucus virescens, Sambucus vulgaris, Sambucus nigra subsp. vulgaris, Sambucus nigra var. alba, Sambucus nigra var. albida, Sambucus nigra var. albovariegata, Sambucus nigra var. aurea, Sambucus nigra var. aureovariegata, Sambucus nigra var. cannabinifolia, Sambucus nigra var. chlorocarpa, Sambucus nigra var. decussata, Sambucus nigra var. dimorphophylla, Sambucus nigra var. heterophylla, Sambucus nigra var. leucocarpa, Sambucus nigra var. linearis, Sambucus nigra var. luteovariegata, Sambucus nigra var. mileri, Sambucus nigra var. pendula, Sambucus nigra var. pulla, Sambucus nigra var. pyramidalis, Sambucus nigra var. pyramidata, Sambucus nigra var. rotundifolia, Sambucus nigra var. variegata, Sambucus nigra var. virens, Sambucus nigra var. virescens, Sambucus nigra var. viridis, Sambucus nigra var. vulgaris

1,145,955 GBIF occurrences
93,408 iNaturalist observations

Conservation status code

Conservation: status label

Least Concern

Conservation: population trend

Stable

Conservation: year assessed

2026

IUCN Red List page

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61684/209127483

Habitats

IUCN: population narrative

Records of the species are numerous and there is currently no indication of significant population decline.

IUCN: habitat narrative

Elder is a deciduous shrub or small tree of up to 5 m height (and up to 10 m in cultivation). It is found in a wide range of habitats including woodland, grassland, hedgerows, scrub, river banks but also roadsides, railway banks and waste grounds (Preston et al. 2002, Castroviejo et al. 2007).

IUCN: threats narrative

This species is widely used for food and medicine, but it is not assumed that this will lead to significant declines. There are indications that harvest rates might increase in the future (e.g. in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kathe et al. 2003).

IUCN: conservation narrative

This species is subject to ex situ conservation. Seeds are stored in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank and in the Danish Forest and Nature Agency. It is considered as Least Concern on various national Red Lists, for example, Belgium (Van Landuyt et al. 2006), Germany (Ludwig and Schnittler 1996), Switzerland (Moser et al. 2002), the United Kingdom (Cheffings and Farrell 2005) and several others.The taxon Sambucus nigra subsp. palmensis is listed as a priority taxon on Annex II of the Habitats Directive and is listed under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) under the name Sambucus palmensis.The species is represented by 341 germplasm accessions held at European institutions (EURISCO 2024) and is included in the living collection of at least 206 botanical gardens (BGCI 2024). It occurs in many protected areas, including Natura 2000 sites (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2024, GBIF.org 2024).

IUCN: rationale

European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)EU 27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)This species is classified as Least Concern for both Europe and for the EU27 Member States due to its widespread distribution, stable populations and no major threats.

Sambucus nigra L.

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