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Common Elderberry

Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis

Found in floodplain and bottomland forests; forests and woodlands; streams, rivers and their banks; forest edges and thickets; freshwater marshes; swamps; seeps and springs; ponds, lakes and their shores; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

75
Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
5–12 feet
Spread
6–12 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 9 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Spring and summer
Fruiting season
July to August

Recorded in 22 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 9

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

Freshwater marshes

Open, herb-covered wetlands with fresh, non-tidal water.

Swamps

Forested wetlands with standing water much of the year, such as cypress and gum swamps.

Seeps and springs

Places where groundwater keeps the soil or rock wet, such as seepage slopes and spring runs.

Ponds, lakes and their shores

Still water and its edges: ponds, lakes, millponds and reservoirs.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

34CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Sambucus

  • Achatodes zeaeElder Shoot Border Moth, Spindele Worm, Cornstalk Borer
  • Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
  • 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
  • Episimus argutanaSumac Leaftier
Show all 34
  • 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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

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
July
Fruit ends
August

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

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources