Botanical Name: Sambucus racemosa
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Common Name: European Redelder  
Plant photo of: Sambucus racemosa
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Tree, Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12', 12-25'

 

Flower Color

Yellow, White

 

Flower Season

Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown

 

Fruit Color

Red

 

Fruit Season

Summer, Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium, High

 

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Invasive

Design Styles

Meadow, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Multi-trunk Tree, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Erosion Control, Hedge, Screen, Naturalizing

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:
  • Description

  • Notes

European redelder is a deciduous shrub with a multi-stemmed, upright habit, growing about 8 to 12 feet tall and wide. It has large, glossy, pinnately compounded, dark green leaves, elliptic to linear in shape and sharply serrated. Flowers with clusters of small creamy white flowers that bloom in late spring and summer. Flowers are followed by small red berries that last through the summer into the fall. The berries are enjoyed by birds and the flower nectar attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The dense, spreading root system makes it useful for soil stabilization and erosion control in moist sites, such as those along riparian corridors.
Grow in full sun to dense shade in well drained, moist to wet soils. pH adaptive. Though originally native to Europe, it has naturalized across the western United States, including Utah. Berries are edible after cooking.