Elder

Description

Common elder, that is Sambucus nigra, is a perennial, deciduous and very vigorous shrub, widespread in the uncultivated areas of the Italian peninsula from sea level up to an altitude of 1200 metres. It could be said that every farmhouse, even an abandoned one, has an elder bush nearby, bearing witness to the esteem this plant has enjoyed since antiquity. Elder has woody branches, pleasantly scented inflorescences and a clump that can reach a remarkable size, as much as five metres wide and tall. Another member of the family, Sambucus ebulus, or dwarf elder, which is easily distinguished from the former because its stems are herbaceous and not very developed, rather than woody, and its flowers smell of bitter almonds, has poisonous fruits.

Leaves

The leaves of Sambucus nigra are oval and serrated

Flowers

The small cream-white flowers, star-shaped, are gathered in umbrella-shaped inflorescences and open in late spring and early summer.

Fruits

In autumn the small glossy berries, botanically called drupes, ripen, blackish-violet in colour, slightly acid in taste, gathered in bunches, and very rich in vitamin C.

Exposure

This plant likes a sunny position, but it also adapts without difficulty to half-shade.

Propagation

This shrub can be propagated by seed or by cuttings. For sowing, a few ripe berries are buried at a depth of about 2.5 centimetres; cuttings of about thirty centimetres should be taken in autumn

Growth

For elder to develop well, a firm pruning in winter is advisable.

Harvesting

The best harvesting periods for leaves and flowers are April or May, the fruits are picked towards the end of August and the bark is collected in autumn.

Storage

The flowers are dried and then kept in airtight jars so as to have them available at any time of year for use in cooking or in pharmacy. An old use of the dried flowers was to place them in the crates holding fruit to help preserve it. In the past, good jams rich in vitamin C were made with the freshly picked berries.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: The fresh flowers are excellent in salads, omelettes and fruit salads. To make fritters, with eggs and flour, both fresh and dried flowers can be used.

Beauty

To make a toning face mask, put a handful of fresh elderflowers in a bowl, one of lime flowers and one of camomile, cover everything with hot water and press the flowers into a pulp, which, placed between two pieces of gauze, should be kept on the face for about twenty minutes.

Health

The infusion of the flowers benefits the skin and the eyes. The decoction of the fruits is a good laxative.

Curiosity

In the past elder was credited with magical powers, against demons and witches. Nowadays an apparent piece of magic consists in planting an elder near the windows of the house: flies will be drawn to it and will not come inside. Another "magic" of elder is the following: plants prone to rust or mould benefit if they are sprayed with a tisane of its leaves.