Sambucus nigra

The black elderberry is a plant in the moschatel or Adoxaceae family, that is native Europe and North America. It is a shrub or small tree growing to 6 m tall.

• Bark, light grey when young, changes to a coarse grey outer bark with lengthwise furrowing, lenticels prominent.
• Leaves are pinnate, 10–30 cm long, leaflets are in 5–7 pairs, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate or lanceolate, 5–12 cm long and 3–5 cm across, base obtuse and oblique, margin serrate, apex acuminate; young stems are hollow; flowering is from May to July.
• Flowers are hermaphroditic, ivory white, 5–6 mm diameter, with five petals, 5 stamens, flowers borne in large, flat corymbs 10–25 cm diameter in late spring to mid-summer.
• Fruit is a glossy, dark purple to black berry 3–5 mm diameter, produced in drooping clusters in late autumn; they are an important food for many fruit-eating birds.