American red elder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids American red elder
Sambucus pubens in flower in spring
Scientific classification
Genus:	Sambucus
Species:	pubens
Synonyms
Sambucus racemosa var. pubens (Michx.) S. Wats. Sambucus racemosa var. pubens (Michx.) Koehne Sambucus racemosa subsp. pubens (Michx.) Hultén Sambucus racemosa fo. pubens (Michx.) Voss Sambucus pubens var. arborescens Torr. & A. Gray Sambucus pubens f. calva Fernald Sambucus pubens var. dissecta Britton Sambucus pubens f. dissecta (Britton) Fernald Sambucus pubens var. leucocarpa Torr. & A. Gray Sambucus pubens f. leucocarpa (Torr. & A. Gray) Fernald

Sambucus pubens, the American red elder, is a species of elder (Sambucus) native to eastern North America. The inflorescence is a rounded panicle, making the plant easy to distinguish from the more common S. canadensis, which has a more open, flattened corymb. Some authors have considered S. pubens to be conspecific with S. racemosa L.

Uses

Common name is "red-berried elder" or "red elderberry". The red berries are an important food source for many birds. They have a bitter taste and can cause digestive problems if eaten in large quantities by humans.

Sambucus pubens habit