Sambucus racemosa is a species of elderberry known by the common names red elderberry and red-berried elder. It is often a treelike shrub growing 2–6 m (7–20 ft) tall found in riparian environments, woodlands, generally in moist areas.
Sambucus racemosa, commonly known as red elder or red elderberry, is a deciduous suckering shrub which typically grows to 8-12’ tall with a somewhat sprawling habit. It features (1) opposite, pinnate-compound, green leaves (6-9” long) which have 5-7 leaflets (each to 4” long), (2) dome-shaped clusters (panicled cymes) of numerous, late spring to early summer, tiny, fragrant, white flowers and (3) dark red (black in the case of the Rocky Mountain elderberry known as S. racemosa var. melanocarpa), summer-to-fall elderberry fruits in upright clusters. This shrub is native to Europe, northern Asia and parts of Alaska, across Canada and the U.S. where it is typically found growing in moist woodlands, thickets, stream banks, fields, fence rows and roadsides.
