Size of Elderberries

Size and Form

• Elderberry grows in the form of a medium- to small-sized shrub or small tree, reaching a mature height of 10 to 20 feet. The plant is multistemmed and bushy in growth with a spreading mature form. The branches are brittle. Over time, elderberries form thickets due to profuse suckering from the roots. The thin bark is smooth and light gray. With maturity, the bark becomes rough and fissured.

Foliage

• The opposite, featherlike foliage is pinnately or bipinnately compound, composed of five, seven or nine leaflets measuring 2 to 6 inches long and 3/4 to 2 1/4 inches wide. The compound leaf is about 12 inches long. Dark green and elliptical, the leaves have serrated margins and produce an aroma when crushed. Foliage undersides are lighter colored and the midrib has short hairs.

Flowers

• Elderberry blooms with large, white, flat-topped clusters, referred to as cymes. Each cluster is composed of very small, star-shaped blooms. The entire fragrant cluster measures 6 to 10 inches in diameter. Elderberry blooms profusely through spring and summer, the flowers often covering the whole plant. In warmer, temperate regions such as Florida, certain varieties of the plant remain in bloom for most of the year.

Fruit

• The fruit is an edible drupe with three to five seeds and grows in hanging clusters. The glossy, bluish-black fruit measures 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. The sweet, juicy fruit appears in summer and early fall and is widely used for making jellies, pies and wine. Elderberry fruit also attracts a wide range of wildlife, including more than 50 species of songbirds. The fruit is a rich source of vitamin C and has a greater content of potassium and phosphorus than any other temperate fruit, according to the Cornell Cooperative Extension.