Ripe elderberry fruit is traditionally used for upper respiratory infection symptoms such as colds and flu. NCCIH notes preliminary evidence that elderberry may help relieve cold/flu symptoms or shorten illness, but the evidence remains limited.
Medicinal plant
Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Flowers for a hot, congested cold; cooked berries as a seasonal tonic. Also called American Elderberry, American Elder.
Uses
Respiratory — Herbs traditionally used in preparations for the throat, chest, sinuses, or seasonal respiratory comfort.
Properties
Diaphoretic — Encourages sweating
Anticatarrhal — Helps reduce or clear excess mucus and congestion
Nutritive — Provides nourishing minerals or other nutrients
Tonic — Traditionally strengthens or supports a body system over time
Energetics
Cooling — Calms heat, irritation, or excess activity. Drying — Reduces excess moisture or secretions. Relaxing — Eases tension, constriction, or spasm. Moistening — Adds or preserves moisture and soothes dryness.
Do not consume elderberries raw. Use only ripe, cooked berries.
Similar herbs: Borage, Anise Hyssop, Yarrow
Growing and using it
Life cycle
Deciduous perennial shrub.
Hardiness
American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is hardy in USDA Zones 4–8.
How to start
Potted shrub or rooted cutting. Plant two compatible American elderberry cultivars for better fruit set.
Starting from seed
Seed is slow; rooted plants are much easier.
Harvesting
Harvest flowers in early summer and ripe berries later in the season.
Grow in zone
Plant out — Move a started plant into its final spot outdoorsPlant out: AprilPlant out: MayPlant out: SeptemberPlant out: OctoberHarvest flowers — Gather flowers in these monthsHarvest flowers: JuneHarvest flowers: JulyHarvest berries — Gather berries in these monthsHarvest berries: AugustHarvest berries: September
Meaningful berry harvests usually improve after the first few years.
Gardening tools
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Steep elderberry in hot water to draw out its flavour and water-soluble properties. A traditional diaphoretic for the hot, congested start of a cold.
Parts used
FlowerGather
- 1–2 tspdried flower per cup of hot water
- Cut flower clusters in full bloom, on a dry day
- Dry them, then strip the flowers from the stalksAbout a week on a screen out of the sun, or 1–4 hours in a dehydrator at 95–115°F. Dry when the flowers are papery and crumble between your fingers.
Prepare
- Cover the dried flowers with hot water
- Steep 10–15 minutes
- Strain
- Drink hot
Apothecary supplies
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Combine a strong elderberry infusion or decoction with honey or sugar for a concentrated, sweet preparation.
Parts used
BerryPrepare
- Remove ripe berries from stems
- Cook the berries thoroughly in waterDo not treat raw elderberries like ordinary snack berries.
- Strain the cooked fruit
- Reduce the liquid to the desired concentration
- Cool until warm, then sweeten with honey if desired
- Refrigerate