Elder

Sambucus nigra

 

Monograph

1. Plant Family:
• Adoxaceae, or honeysuckle family ^[1]
2. Habitat & Cultivation:
• European elder is a plant native to Europe, Northern Africa, and Western-and Central Asia. Naturalized in North America. Prefers moist, sunny forest habitats/open areas. Dominant understory in riparian woodlands. Common along stream/river banks. ^[1]
3. Parts Used:
• Flower, berry, leaf ^[2]
4. Herbal Actions:
• Berry
1. anticatarrahal
2. antioxidative
3. antiviral
4. antiinflammatory
5. antibacterial
6. antiproliferative
7. diaphoretic
8. diuretic
9. laxative
• Flower
1. diaphoretic
2. anticatarrhal
3. antispasmodic
• Leaf
1. diaphoretic
2. diuretic
3. emollient
4. vulnerary
5. expectorant ^[1]
5. Indications:
• Influenza types A & B
• Viral infections
• Common cold
• HSV type I
• Sinusitis
• Low immunity ^[2]
6. Plant Constituents:
• Flower
1. Triterpenes, fixed oils, phenolic acids, pectin, sugars
• Leaf
1. Triterpenes, cyanogenetic glycosides, flavonoids, fatty acids, alkanes, tannins ^[2]
7. System Affinities:
• Immune, respiratory, integumentary, gastrointestinal, urinary ^[2]  
8. Energetics:
• Berry: bitter, sweet, astringent, cooling
• Flower: warming then cooling, pungent, bitter ^[3]
9. Safety:
• Nontoxic, but leaves/stems/bark/roots/flower/unripe fruit contain cyogenic glycosides which can cause N/V and diarrhea when immature plants or high quantities of fruit consumed; majority of Sambucus nigra consumed is processed - heating process changes cyogenic glycosides to be less poisonous. ^[1]
10. Interactions:
• None known. ^[2]

Personal Experience

1. Organoleptics:
• Berry tincture: The black elderberry tincture is very dark, reddish brown. It taste pretty nice, actually! Very sour and sweet at the same time like a berry would, with a slight herbal-tea note behind it.
• Dried flower: The elderflower is yellow, and looks like tiny dried blossoms mixed with light-colored stems. They smell very sweet.
2. Preparation Method:
• Flower tincture: (1:5 in 40%) 2 – 4 ml 3x/day
• Flower tea: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 2 tsp dried or fresh blossoms, infuse for 10 mins. Drink 3x/day.
• Berry juice: Boil fresh berries in water for 2 – 3 mins, then express juice. To preserve, add 1 part honey to 10 parts juice and bring to a boil. Take 1 glass diluted with hot water 2x/day.  ^[2]
3. Usage Notes:
• I used the elderberry tincture given to us, and made a hot infusion of the dried elderflowers. The tincture helped me ward off a cold that I’ve felt creeping in since moving to Seattle from Boise this week and exhausting my immune system with caffeine and stress. The tea has a light, floral flavor with almost a spicy/bitter/sour aftertaste. It's pleasant to drink. I feel like drinking the tea helped specifically with my runny nose – it could have been due to allergies, or a symptom of the approaching cold, but it helped quite a bit!

Sources:

1. Zollinger, R. & Riccio, L. (2018). Week 7 Study Questions. Bastyr University: SP-18_MW5123-A Botanicals 3: Pregnancy.
2. Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
3. Frawley, D. & Lad, V. (2001). The Yoga of Herbs. Twin Lakes, Wisconsin: Lotus Press.