Sambucus canadensis
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffd1495df6165920051 |
| Scientific name | Sambucus canadensis |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 269 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Elderflower infusion from Sambucus canadensis is a long‑standing North American remedy. Among the Cherokee of the southeastern United States, warm elderflower teas were taken to lower fevers (Moerman, 1998). The Iroquois peoples used the flowers similarly for colds and sore throats (Moerman, 1998), and historic Anglo‑American sources also describe elderflower teas as diaphoretic “sweating” drinks taken at the onset of colds or fevers (Grieve, 1931; Howard, 1949). In Mexico, the flowers were sometimes used to flavor foods, and small infusions have been recorded as internal remedies (Vibrans, 2005).
A practical recipe for a mild tea: use 2–3 fresh flower heads (about 10–15 g) or 2–4 g dried per 250 ml water. Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, add the flowers, cover, and infuse for 10–15 minutes; strain. Sweeten if desired. Use in small cups for short periods during mild fevers. Note: do not use raw bark, leaves, seeds, or unripe berries; flowers are the safest part to prepare as beverages (Howard, 1949; Moerman, 1998).
Flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol are well established in elderflowers (Jensen & Nielsen, 1973), as are phenolic acids, including chlorogenic and caffeic acids (Barros et al., 2010). Hydroxycinnamic acid esters like chlorogenic acid and luteolin‑7‑glucoside are also documented (Jensen & Nielsen, 1973). These constituents provide the mild astringency and pleasant floral aroma that have defined elderflower tea in domestic practice.
Elderflowers remain commercially available and are still used by some communities as household teas for colds and fevers (Howard, 1949). In the southeastern United States, local harvest of Sambucus canadensis flowers continues in certain traditional and small‑scale markets (Balick & Cox, 1996).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Elderflower beverage bases and cordials (non-alcoholic flavor syrups for sodas, cocktails, and desserts); elderberry wine; elderberry jams, jellies, syrups, and baked fillings; elderflower and elderberry flavorings for confectionery and dairy; elderflower absolute, essential oil, and CO2 extracts for fragrance and flavor.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Flowers are harvested fresh for cordials, syrups, and flavorings (often neutral or floral-sweet); berries are crushed to wine, juice, and preserves. Products are processed to avoid off-flavors and off-odors and to inhibit oxidation.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Elderflower absolute and essential oil are used in fragrance for floral notes; CO2 and solvent extracts are used in flavors (FEMA GRAS).
Properties relevant to use:
Elderberries typically mature with high soluble solids (around 10–15 °Brix), low titratable acidity (around 0.3–0.9%), and moderate pH (about 3.7–4.0), yielding balanced flavor and color in beverages and preserves. Fresh elderflowers release a strong, characteristic aroma used directly in flavoring or processed to extracts for stability.
Standards and regulation:
Flavor uses of elderflower extracts are recognized by FEMA; extracts used in foods and flavors should comply with national food additive and flavoring regulations.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Aralia sololensis | Donn.Sm. | Bot. Gaz. 56: 58 (1913) |
| Sambucus simpsonii | Rehder | Trees & Shrubs 2: 187 (1911) |
| Sambucus repens | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 47 (1838) |
| Sambucus planteriensis | Simon-Louis ex Dippel | Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 169 (1889) |
| Sambucus plantierensis | Koehne | Deut. Dendrol. : 533 (1893) |
| Sambucus nigra var. canadensis | (L.) B.L.Turner | Sida, Bot. Misc. 24: 6 (2003). |
| Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis | (L.) Bolli | Diss. Bot. 223: 168. 1994 |
| Sambucus oreopola | Donn.Sm. | Bot. Gaz. 25: 146 (1898) |
| Sambucus bipinnata | Moench | Methodus (Moench) 506. 1794 [4 May 1794] |
| Sambucus bipinnata | Schltdl. & Cham. | Linnaea 5: 171. 1830 |
| Sambucus eberhardtii | Danguy | Bull. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 28: 378 (1922) |
| Sambucus canadensis var. laciniata | A.Gray | Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(2): 9 (1884) |
| Sambucus canadensis var. oreopola | (Donn.Sm.) Rehder | Trees & Shrubs 2: 188 (1911) |
| Sambucus canadensis var. submollis | Rehder | Trees & Shrubs 2: 188 (1911) |
| Sambucus canadensis subsp. laciniata | (A.Gray) A.E.Murray | Kalmia 13: 31 (1983):. |
| Sambucus rehderana | Schwer. | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 29: 220 (1920) |
| Sambucus orbiculata | Greene | Leafl. Bot. Observ. Crit. 2: 99 (1910) |
| Sambucus intermedia var. insularis | Schwer. | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 18: 38, 328. 1909 |
| Sambucus canadensis f. aurea | (J.F.Cowell ex L.H.Bailey) Rehder | Bibliogr. Cult. Trees 599. 1949 |
| Sambucus cerulea var. arizonica | Sarg. | Man. Trees, ed. 2. 885, fig. 778. 1922 |
| Sambucus canadensis var. delicatissima | Schwer. | Mitt. Deutsch. Dendrol. Ges. 1907: 256. |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | american black elderberry |
| English | canada elderberry |
| English | common elderberry |
| Arabic | خمان كندي |
| Azerbaijani | kanada gəndəlaşı |
| Belarusian | Бузіна канадская |
| Welsh | ysgawen america |
| Estonian | kanada leeder |
| Persian | آقطی کانادایی |
| Finnish | kanadanselja |
| Icelandic | ameríkuyllir |
| Nepali | कनिकेफूल |
| Dutch | amerikaanse vlier |
| Russian | Бузина канадская |
| Russian | Бузина американская |
| Thai | พวงไข่มุก |
| Chinese | 加拿大接骨木莓 |
| Chinese | 美洲接骨木 |
| Chinese | 加拿大接骨木 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!| Maintain seeds at 20°C for 3 months, then transfer to 4°C for another 3 months. |
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
Macaronesia
- Canary Islands
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Burundi
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Rwanda
- Zaïre
-
Macaronesia
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- Nepal
-
Indo-China
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Thailand
- Vietnam
-
Malesia
- Jawa
- Lesser Sunda Islands
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Québec
-
Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
-
North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
-
Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
-
Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Montana
- Wyoming
-
South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
- Texas
-
Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
-
Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
-
Western Canada
- Manitoba
-
Eastern Canada
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Caribbean
- Bermuda
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
-
Central America
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Panamá
-
Northern South America
- Venezuela
-
Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Peru
-
Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000439346 |
| UNII | 613NUH378Q |
| Flora of Alabama | 1384 |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 232 |
| Canadensys | 2436 |
| UConn | 452 |
| Tropicos | 6000053 |
| INPN | 630596 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:321978-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2486578 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 278942 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 142026 |
| Observations.org | 7405 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 57008 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000014114 |
| IPNI | 321978-2 |
| iNaturalist | 84300 |
| GBIF | 6369819 |
| WisFlora | 4967 |
| Elurikkus | 578194 |
| USDA GRIN | 32983 |
| Wikipedia | Sambucus_canadensis |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Naphthalenes / Naphthalenecarboxylic acids and derivatives / Naphthalenecarboxylic acids | |||||
| Fisheacid | 139583718 | Click to see C1C(C(=CC2=CC=CC=C21)C3=CC4=CC=CC=C4CC3C(=O)O)C(=O)O | 346.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| [(3S,6aR,8aR,12S,14bR)-4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,12,14b-octamethyl-2,3,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,12a,14,14a-tetradecahydro-1H-picen-3-yl] hexadecanoate | 5318360 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OC1CCC2(C(C1(C)C)CCC3(C2CC=C4C3(CCC5(C4C(C(CC5)C)C)C)C)C)C | 665.10 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| [(3S,6aR,8aR,14bR)-4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,11,14b-octamethyl-1,2,3,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,12a,14,14a-tetradecahydropicen-3-yl] hexadecanoate | 5318370 | Click to see | 665.10 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| Beta-Amyrin Palmitate | 13915599 | Click to see | 665.10 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| Urs-12-en-3-ol, hexadecanoate, (3)- | 10394654 | Click to see | 665.10 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Ergostane steroids / Ergosterols and derivatives | |||||
| Campesterol | 173183 | Click to see CC(C)C(C)CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C | 400.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Pregnane steroids / Gluco/mineralocorticoids, progestogins and derivatives | |||||
| [(3R,5S,8S,9S,10S,11R,13R,14S,17R)-17-ethenyl-3-hydroxy-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-tetradecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-11-yl] acetate | 25180961 | Click to see CC(=O)OC1CC2(C(CCC2C3C1C4(CCC(CC4CC3)O)C)C=C)C | 360.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(91)83481-Y https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| (3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-17-[(E,2S,5S)-5-Ethyl-6-methylhept-3-en-2-yl]-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 12314479 | Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 412.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(75)85316-7 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1271/BBB1961.49.1851 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Anthocyanins / Anthocyanidin-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| (2S,3R,4R,5S)-2-[(2S,3S,4S,5S,6R)-2-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxychromenylium-3-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol | 154497414 | Click to see | 581.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| Chrysanthemin | 44256715 | Click to see | 449.40 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(91)83481-Y https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| Kuromanin | 441667 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=[O+]C3=CC(=CC(=C3C=C2OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 449.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| Sambicyanin | 74976920 | Click to see C1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3=CC4=C(C=C(C=C4[O+]=C3C5=CC(=C(C=C5)O)O)O)O)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 581.50 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(91)83481-Y https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Anthocyanins / Anthocyanidin-5-O-glycosides | |||||
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6S)-2-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-3-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromenylium-5-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | 154496409 | Click to see | 611.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| Cyanidin 3-sambubioside 5-glucoside | 10197243 | Click to see C1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3=C([O+]=C4C=C(C=C(C4=C3)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)O)C6=CC(=C(C=C6)O)O)CO)O)O)O)O)O | 743.60 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(91)83481-Y https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| Cyanin | 441688 | Click to see | 611.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid 3-O-p-coumaroyl glycosides | |||||
| [(2R,3S,4S,5R,6S)-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxy-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromenylium-3-yl]oxy-3,4-dihydroxy-5-[(2R,3R,4R,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate | 163191117 | Click to see C1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2C(C(C(OC2OC3=C([O+]=C4C=C(C=C(C4=C3)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)O)C6=CC(=C(C=C6)O)O)COC(=O)C=CC7=CC=C(C=C7)O)O)O)O)O)O | 889.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(94)00700-4 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |