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Elder

Sambucus mexicana (Sambucus caerulea var. mexicana)

Mexican elder, Flor sauce, Flor de saugua, Saúco

Sambucus glauca

Blue elderberry

Sambucus microbotrys

Red elderberry

Caprifoliaceae – Honeysuckle family

Description

Mexican elder is a small tree reaching 15-35 feet in height.  Its appearance can be unruly and non-uniform, given the tree’s propensity for dropping branches in favor of conserving water – a common survival mechanism seen in desert trees.  The branches have an erratic way of growing and can be angled, arched, drooping, or nearly horizontal.  Upon maturation, the crown is wide and rounded.  The bark is finely fissured and yellowish-brown.  The leaves are composed of 3-5 ovoid, thickened leaflets which are smooth above, occasionally hairy beneath and have finely serrated margins; when crushed they are strong-scented.  The small cream-colored flowers form in flat-topped clusters 6-8 inches across.  The fruits that follow are clustered, a ½-inch across, and are sweet and very edible.

The closely allied Blue elderberry is smaller, at least at higher elevations.  The leaves are composed of 3-9 lanceolate leaflets and like Mexican elder has edible fruits.  Red elderberry is typically a large shrub with 5-7 thin, coarsely serrated leaflets.  Bright red, semi-poisonous berries follow the whitish flower clusters.

Distribution

Mexican elder is found along drainages from 2,000-4,000 feet.  It is distributed disjointedly throughout the southwest.  Pockets of the tree can be found from coastal mountainous regions of southern California to central-eastern Arizona, Gila River and Rio Grande Drainages in New Mexico, and finally to the Nueces River area of western Texas.

Blueberry elder is common throughout the coastal and inter-mountain west.  It is typically a tree found with Douglas fir and other conifers.  Red elderberry, a non-native shrub-tree originally from Eurasia, has naturalized extensively throughout the country.  In the west, it is found in moist coniferous forests.

Chemistry

for Sambucus canadensis, a closely allied blue-fruited Elder:  triterpenes: a-amyrin palmitate, balanophorin and oleanolic acid; flavonoids: cyanidin, cyanin, quercetin, and rutin; monoterpene: morroniside; steroids: campesterol, b-sitosterol and stigmasterol; sambucine

Medicinal Uses

Elder is chiefly diaphoretic, making its application to fevers, particularly if they are low to moderate in temperature, warranted.  If the skin is hot and dry Elder will reliably promote sweating.  The tea drunk cold is diuretic, especially if there is no elevated temperature.  External preparations are distinctly antimicrobial and antifungal.  Elder is usefully applied to these situations particularly if the affected tissues are edematous, slow to heal, and tend to ulcerate. 

Mexican elder has been found to inhibit Salmonella spp. and Shigella dysenteriae, so its application to gastroenteritis coincides with traditional use for the plant in Guatemala.  Elder has some use in lung centered viral conditions particularly if the insult has produced a dry fever.  The leaf and flower tea are somewhat similar in effect to the now popular European black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) preparations.

Indications

Fevers, dry, low to moderate temperature, with lung centered viruses

Fluid retention

Wounds, edematous, ulcerated, slow to heal, with or without bacterial or fungal involvement (external)

Collection

Prune the last foot or so from the flowering branch ends, or collect the flower and leaves separately.  The fruit clusters can be collected in bunches and then separated from their respective small stems.

Preparations

The flowers are simple enough to dry; the leaves though can be problematic.  If they are not dried quickly they often mildew, turn black and become unusable.  Dry quickly in a warm and arid environment or use a dehydrator.

Dosage

Leaf/flower infusion: 2-4 ounces 3 times daily, though often less of the leaf tea is needed as it can be more stimulating

Cautions

American elders all contain varying amounts of sambucine and cyanogenic compounds.  Although individual populations can markedly differ in concentrations it is best to use flower and leaf preparations, verses the bark which tends to contain higher amounts of these compounds.  Red elder berries are considered generally toxic and should be avoided.  The fruits of Sambucus racemosa, a native Red elderberry, were rendered safer to eat by various American Indian tribes by applying heat, through boiling, steaming, or roasting.  Heat has been shown to reduce cyanogenic compounds significantly.  Some sensitive individuals may find the flower and especially leaf preparations mildly laxative.  Like any vasodilating herb, Elder can potentially increase body temperature very briefly before promoting diaphoresis; be mindful of this when using it in higher febrile states.

Other Uses

The fruits of blue Elder types, in moderate quantities, are sweet and edible raw.  The fruits are popular in making jams, jellies, and wines.

Copyright © 2006 by Charles W. Kane

This and additional profiles are found in Herbal Medicine of the American Southwest