Species PlantsBlue Elderberry

Blue Elderberry

Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea

CommonPlant
Illustration of Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea)
Safety note: Unripe berries, leaves, and bark are toxic if ingested raw.

Blue Elderberry is the western counterpart of American elderberry, growing in riparian corridors and forest edges from British Columbia to Mexico. Its large clusters of waxy blue berries with a whitish bloom ripen in summer and are consumed by an enormous variety of birds including band-tailed pigeons, western bluebirds, and many others. The berries were a staple food for many indigenous peoples.

Habitat
Riparian corridors, forest edges, and moist slopes in western North America
Diet
Berries consumed by over 50 bird species; critical for band-tailed pigeons
How common
Common

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