Caprifoliaceae
Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea

Blue Elderberry

Shrub or small tree, erect, usually as wide as tall. Stems hairless. Leaves deciduous, with 3–9 leaflets. Leaflets 3–8 in. long, oval to lance-shaped with pointed tip, sharply serrate. Flowers white, in large flat-topped inflorescence with central stem shorter and weaker than branches. Flowers small, round, with 5 petals. Blue-black berries covered with white waxy powder. Grows in mixed conifer forests, forest-steppe transitions, open talus slopes, at high elevations.

  • Rarity: Common
  • Flowering Time: Early Summer
  • Life Cycle: Perennial
  • Height: 4--20 feet
  • Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest
  • Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np
  • Native: Yes

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