Blue Elderberry- c’ikʷikʷac - (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea)
Blue Elderberry is a deciduous shrub with serrate, oblong leaves. It produces flat-topped clusters of fragrant, cream-colored flowers in late spring, early summer followed by clusters of blackish-blue berries that ripen in August and are sometimes waxy. You might already be familiar with this popular medicinal berry as most natural, and even conventional, grocery stores have elderberry remedies lining the shelves.
Use of elderberry remedies date back to Ancient Egypt, and are noted for their immune-boosting properties can help aid in staving off cold and flu symptoms. Elderberry fruit, as well as flowers, are also highly nutritious. The fruit can be used in pies, jams, syrups, gummies, and wines. Some caution is suggested when eating the fruit raw as not yet fully ripe berries can sometimes cause stomach upset. The flowers are typically used dried and made into teas to help the body detoxify and decongest. Blue Elderberries are extremely valuable to a myriad of wildlife in our area, but are particularly important to native bird species as one of their most important food sources.
*Full sun to partial shade
*Prefers moist, well-drained soils, but tolerant of a variety
*Suitable on streambanks, for revegetation projects, to stabilize edges and slopes, in canyons, open forests, as a hedgerow or screen, and along roadsides.
*20 to 30 feet in height, 20 to 30 feet in width
*Sold Bare Root
*Sold in bundles of 5
c’ikʷikʷac *Lushootseed provided by the Puyallup Tribal Language Program and audio by Chris Briden, Puyallup Tribal member.