Elderberry

Sambucus nigra, family Adoxaceae. Part discussed: Fruit and flower.

Clusters of purple-black elderberries on red stems with creamy elderflower umbels, beside a dish of dried berries. — The part discussed in this entry. Botanical. A House study of the material. Not a photograph of a specific specimen or Collection.

Identity

Common name: Elderberry
Botanical name: Sambucus nigra
Family: Adoxaceae
Part or material: Fruit and flower
Classification: Botanical
Educational category: Immune Education

About

Sambucus nigra L., Adoxaceae. The EMA flower monograph covers flos; the fruit page records that no monograph was adopted for fructus.

Forms and distinctions

Different preparations of the same material are described separately, because what is recorded for one form does not carry to another.

Part scope is asymmetric.

Safety considerations

No side effects had been reported with elder flower medicines at assessment time. Raw or unripe elderberries and other parts of the elder tree such as leaves and stem contain poisonous cyanide-producing substances that can cause nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhea; cooking eliminates this toxin; large quantities may cause serious illness; little is known about safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

References

The authorities this entry draws on, named so you can weigh them yourself.

EMA HMPC Sambuci flos · European Medicines Agency, herbal medicine monograph
EMA HMPC Sambuci fructus · European Medicines Agency, herbal medicine monograph
NCCIH Elderberry · US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

This entry is educational. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a statement about any Pam Oh Herbs Collection or its contents. It carries no dosage and no claim of effect.