Sambucus nigra (European elder, "Seiyoniwatoko")

Japanese name: セイヨウニワトコ （西洋接骨木、西洋庭常、西洋庭床）
Scientific name: Sambucus nigra

[Overview]
A deciduous shrub or small tree 2.4–6 m tall, rarely reaching 9 m.
The trunk is thick and branches well from the lower part.
The old bark develops thick cork and splits lengthwise.
The leaves are opposite, odd-pinnately compound, 10–25 cm long, made up of 3–7 leaflets, with a petiole 2–5 cm long.
The leaflets are ovate to elliptic, 4–12.5 cm long and 1.5–6 cm wide, with fine serrations on the margin.
Young leaves are often tinged dark purple.
Bruised leaves give off an odor.
Corymb-like inflorescences 10–25 cm across at the branch tips bear many small flowers.
The flowers are about 0.5 cm across; the corolla is deeply 5-lobed, cream-colored and fragrant.
The fruit is a spherical drupe 0.5 cm across, ripening to a glossy dark purple to black.

[Uses]
The flowers, fruits, leaves and bark are used medicinally.
The flowers (elderflower) are used as food and in lotions, herbal tea, syrup and so on, and the ripe fruits (elderberry) are used for wine, jam, jelly, pie filling and so on.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It prefers fertile soil that is sunny, well drained and moderately moist.
It dislikes the heat and humidity of summer, so plant it in an airy place out of the afternoon sun and strong sunlight.
Rainfall is sufficient unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
Fertilize sparingly; if fertilizer is applied at planting, none is particularly needed.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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