The Wild American Elderberry is a beautiful woody shrub, four to twelve feet tall, with smooth yellowish-gray branchlets, bright green leaves in feather-like arrangement, and white pith. It forms showy, fragrant cymes of white flowers in late June, followed by bright purple to black berries from late July to September.

Wild Elderberry is a native shrub that grows to be about 8-10 feet and boasts creamy-white flowers in mid-summer, giving way to loose clusters of delicious black fruits that are high in nutrients and antioxidants. The foliage then turns a deep burgundy in Autumn, completing the wonderfully-changing cycle of this beautiful shrub.

American elderberry is a woody, deciduous shrub or small tree, 5 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide, that is native to North America, Venezuela, and Brazil. It is a member of the Adoxaceae (muskroot) family. It can be found in all areas of North Carolina along streams, marshes, moist forests, and disturbed areas.

The American black elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is native throughout much of North America. It is a member of the Adoxaceae family and is closely related to several other elderberry species with ranges that include North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. In the wild, elderberry prefers a sunny location with rich, moist soil.