Alternate name: Red Elderberry

Family: Caprifoliaceae, Honeysuckle view all from this family

Description A small, colony-forming shrub with fragrant clusters of white flowers that produce black berries. Leaves are pinnately compound. Mature height is from 3 to 6 ft.

Warning All species of elders that grow in North America are potentially poisonous if plant parts are ingested. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.

Habitat Moist mountain woods and stream banks.

Range N. Rockies; extending less commonly to e. Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, and n. Arizona.