Quercus

Common Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

35CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Sambucus

  • Achatodes zeaeElder Shoot Border Moth, Spindele Worm, Cornstalk Borer
  • Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
  • Anania tertialisCrowned Anania, Crowned Phlyctaenia
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Callima argenticinctellaOrange-Headed Epicallima
  • Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
Show all 35
  • Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Eueretagrotis attentusAttentive Dart
  • Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
  • Lacanobia grandisGrand Arches
  • Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Paralobesia viteanaAmerican Vine Moth, Grape Berry Moth
  • Proteoteras moffatianaMaple Bud Borer, Maple Shoot Borer
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Xestia smithiiSmith's Dart
  • Paralobesia rhoifructana
  • Paralobesia sambuci
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Sambucus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
49BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sambucus

  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Aphelocoma californicaCalifornia Scrub-Jay
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Catharus fuscescensVeery
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
  • Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
Show all 49
  • Contopus virensEastern Wood-Pewee
  • Cyanocitta stelleriSteller's Jay
  • Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
  • Dryobates pubescensDowny Woodpecker
  • Dryobates villosusHairy Woodpecker
  • Empidonax alnorum/trailliiAlder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)
  • Empidonax difficilisPacific-slope Flycatcher
  • Hylocichla mustelinaWood Thrush
  • Icterus bullockiiBullock's Oriole
  • Melanerpes formicivorusAcorn Woodpecker
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
  • Myiarchus cinerascensAsh-throated Flycatcher
  • Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
  • Passerina cyaneaIndigo Bunting
  • Patagioenas fasciataBand-tailed Pigeon
  • Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
  • Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Piranga ludovicianaWestern Tanager
  • Sayornis nigricansBlack Phoebe
  • Sayornis sayaSay's Phoebe
  • Sialia currucoidesMountain Bluebird
  • Sialia mexicanaWestern Bluebird
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Sphyrapicus variusYellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • Toxostoma redivivumCalifornia Thrasher
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Tyrannus tyrannusEastern Kingbird
  • Tyrannus verticalisWestern Kingbird
  • Vireo belliiBell's Vireo
  • Vireo gilvusWarbling Vireo
  • Vireo griseusWhite-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo huttoniHutton's Vireo
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
  • Vireo solitariusBlue-headed Vireo
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Beetles 4
  • Attagenus piceus
  • Euderces picipes
  • Euphoria fulgida
  • Pentaria trifasciata

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 9
  • Anthrax sinuosa
  • Baccha fuscipennis
  • Eristalis tenax
  • Musca domestica
  • Orthoneura nitida
  • Spilomyia hamifera
  • Syrphus americanus
  • Syrphus ribesii
  • Xylota fraudulosa

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Viburnaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Black Elderberry; Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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