Sambucus racemosa

Red elderberry

Family: Viburnaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Red elderberry is a California native shrub found in northern coastal, northern central, and Sierra Nevada Mountains in mixed evergreen forest, riparian woodland, and conifer forest at elevations of 500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces cream to white flowers in large dome-shaped clusters up to 12 centimeters wide. Growing 1 to 6 meters tall with multiple spreading branches, it forms a dense, multi-stemmed thicket. Its compound leaves have 5 to 7 lance-shaped leaflets 4 to 16 centimeters long, with slightly asymmetric bases and pointed tips. The fruit develops as bright red or deep purple-black clusters, attracting wildlife and providing important ecological value.

California counties: Mariposa, Inyo, San Bernardino, Madera, Tulare, Modoc, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Tuolumne, Mono, San Mateo, Siskiyou, Butte, Shasta, San Diego, Placer

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.