Red elderberry

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More names for this plant

The Dakota and Anishinaabe were among the earliest people to name Minnesota’s plants and animals, as well as to understand them in relation to Minnesota’s climate and seasons. Those original names are still in use, and several are included on the Season Watch website. However, complete translations were not available.

Latin (or scientific name): Sambucus racemosa

The scientific community has a convention of assigning agreed-upon Latin names to every kind of organism. Using scientific names helps people communicate confidently about the same organism and organize lifeforms based on how closely related they are.

More common names: Red-berried elder, red elder, scarlet elderberry

Page contents

About the red elderberry

Visual guide to phenology

Graphs and historical data

More resources

Red elderberry plant with clusters of bright red berries and pinnate compound leaves.
Red elderberry with clusters of fruit.
June 29, 2022, Washington County, Minnesota
Photo © Ann Rinkenberger, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC)
iNaturalist observation

About the red elderberry

  • This shrub bears clusters of tiny white flowers in spring and bright red berries in summer.
  • Red elderberry is one of the first shrubs to flower in the spring in Minnesota.
  • Red elderberry tends to grow in moist environments, such as in low-lying forests or along riverbanks.
  • The flowers are favored by butterflies and hummingbirds, while the berries are feasted on by birds.
  • Fun fact: Though some parts of the plant like the stems and leaves are toxic, the berries have long been used as a food source by indigenous people. They are often mixed with a tastier berry to improve the flavor.

Visual guide to phenology

Watch for the appearance of leaves, flowers, and fruits. Take notice of when flowers open and fruits ripen.

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Note to observers

This page explains general clues to watch for when observing red elderberry phenology. However, this page does not instruct observers on how to identify this plant or collect data in a standardized way.

Close-up photo of red elderberry buds. There are two, roundish pale brown buds on either side of the twig.
Close-up photo showing the interior of a red elderberry bud. The bud's exterior is brilliant pink, almost magenta. And the textured interior is tan in color.
Flower buds are packed into a highly textured globe shape, green in color. The small new leaves are dark red, long, thin, and pointy.
Dark green leaves are expanding in size. Their pinnate compound structure is now clear. Flower buds are still tightly balled up and dark purple in color.
Bright lime-green flower buds are still closed, but they have unfolded from the globe-shape into clusters. Leaves are seen against a bright blue sky.
Red edlerberry's flowers are creamy colored and have a lacey appearance.
A flower cluster with open and spent flowers. Spent flowers can be recognized by brown color or parts such as petals falling off.
Sunlight shines on the brilliant green leaves of the red elderberry. The flowers are all gone or spent and green, unripe fruits are present.
Image of a red elderberry shrub with light green leaves. Clusters of fruit are ripening, gradually changing from green to red.
Cluster of fruits in varying shades from green to brilliant red. The red fruits are ripe. Fruits that are still green are unripe.
Colored leaves are golden yellow. A bare structure is left where the fruits had formed but have since fallen off or been eaten by a bird or other animal.
A snowy winter scene in a forest. In the foreground, an elderberry twig has pinkish, pointy closed buds.

Graphs and historical data

Note: The Orientation Center provides a map, as well as information on reading graphs; interpreting summary statistics, who collected the data and how; and how to download datasets for independent exploration.


Itasca County

Leaf budbreak

  • Earliest: March 16 (occurred in 2010)
  • Average: April 8
  • Latest: April 26 (occurred in 2013)
Scatterplot showing red elderberry phenology observations in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Flower buds swelling

  • Earliest: March 22 (occurred in 2012)
  • Average: April 16
  • Latest: May 10 (occurred in 1993)
Scatterplot showing red elderberry phenology observations in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Flowering

  • Earliest: April 6 (occurred in 1999)
  • Average: May 9
  • Latest: May 25 (occurred in 2013)
Scatterplot showing red elderberry phenology observations in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

First ripe fruit

  • Earliest: June 15 (occurred in 1988)
  • Average: June 26
  • Latest: July 8 (occurred in 2008)
Scatterplot showing red elderberry phenology observations in Itasca County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Ramsey County

Leaf budbreak

  • Earliest: March 4 (occurred in 1987)
  • Average: March 31
  • Latest: April 20 (occurred in 1975)
Scatterplot showing red elderberry phenology observations in Ramsey County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

Flowering

  • Earliest: April 17 (occurred in 1987)
  • Average: May 4
  • Latest: May 17 (occurred in 1950)
Scatterplot showing red elderberry phenology observations in Ramsey County, Minnesota

Download this dataset (.csv file)

More resources

Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) in the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas

Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) in Nature's Notebook

 

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Times of year

Co-author: Audrey Negro, Minnesota Master Naturalist