Elderberry (Sambucus) is an antioxidant powerhouse that grows like a weed

Sambucus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae, its species commonly called elder or elderberry. There are between 5 and 30 species of deciduous shrubs, small trees and herbaceous perennial plants.

Toxicity

The ripe and cooked berries (pulp and skin) of most species of Sambucus are edible. However, most uncooked berries and other parts of plants from this genus are poisonous. Sambucus nigra is the only variety considered to be non-toxic, but it is still recommended that its berries be cooked slightly for culinary purposes.

The leaves, twigs, branches, seeds, and roots of Sambucus plants can contain a cyanide-inducing glycoside. Ingesting a sufficient quantity of cyanide-inducing glycosides can cause a toxic buildup of cyanide in the body.

EatTheWeeds: Episode 29: Elderberries:



Growing Elderberry for Food & Meds - Richters Herbs:



From UFlorida: Aquatic and Invasive Plant Identification Series by the UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu ) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Invasive Plant Management Section:



References:

Elderberries: Red, White and Blue http://buff.ly/1NRJY21
Elderberry or Water Hemlock? Look Alikes http://buff.ly/1NyCyWD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st578
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/elderberry

Related reading:

growing elderberry in Florida | Pick Me Yard http://buff.ly/1NyCgif
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/957/#b
http://www.wildsouthflorida.com/elderberry.html

PDFs:

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_sanic4.pdf
https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu07/pdfs/charlebois284-292.pdf
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Elderberry_Sambucus_plant.pdf

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