THE HERBALIST'S NOTEBOOK

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In the common elder, flowers are tiny five-lobed blossoms that are up to 1/6" wide and fragrant. They occur in a flattened cluster at the ends of leafy branches. Clusters are from two to 10 inches wide. In the red-berried variety, flowers are fragrant, 1/4" wide, with five white or ivory petals. They occur in tall, roughly triangular clusters atop terminal branches. The red-berried variety can be found in bloom first, in spring through early summer. Common elder blooms a week or so later, in early summer.

The fruit in both species is a juicy berry. In the common elder, fruit appear as flat-topped clusters of purplish-black berries, while in the red-berried species, red berries grow in pyramid-shaped clusters.

Sambucus canadensis and pubens

Medicinal uses: The blossoms of both species can be used as a tea to help lower fever. The herb is diaphoretic, producing a sweat and thereby allowing the body to cool in a natural way. A tea of elderberry blossoms is useful in colds or flu when temperatures are raised. The herb is especially nice to use for children, as it makes a tasty tea that works gently.

Harvesting: Gather blossoms by cutting or breaking off the whole cluster at the stem. Spread the clusters out on screens or baskets in a shaded place with good air circulation. When dried, remove blossoms from the stems and store.

Dosages: Use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried blossoms to 1 cup of boiling water for an infusion. Allow to steep for 10 minutes, strain out plant material, and take three times a day. Elder flowers can also be taken in a half-and-half mixture with either yarrow or peppermint, both of which are mild-tasting and have the same diaphoretic effect.

Editor's Note: Corinne Martin, a graduate of the Institute of Traditional HerbalMedicine in Santa Fe, NM, is a certified clinical herbalist who has studied plants for over a decade, achieving the rank of master herbalist. She is the author of Earthmagic: Finding and Using Medicinal Herbs (The Countryman Press, PO. Box 175, Woodstock, VT 05091; 800/245-4151).

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