Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (Red Elderberry) - photos and description
Raised bumps on stems
Origin: Native.
General: Shrubs forming dense clumps of leafy stems. There are small raised bumps growing along the stems. Foliage is foul-smelling when crushed.
Flowers: Flowers are tiny, white, the petals are recurved, the flowers have 5 stamens growing in a star arrangement. We measured a flower at 3 mm long and 3 mm diameter.
Leaves: Leaves opposite, and pinnately compound, having 5 to 7 leaflets. We measured a leaf at 12 cm long (including petiole) and 13 cm wide. Leaflets are elliptical to ovate, leaflets are serrate. We measured a leaflet at 6.5 cm long (including petiole) and 27 mm wide. Top of leaflets are sparsely hairy, bottom of leaflets are pubescent.
Height: Height listed in Budd's Flora to 6 m. We measured plants to 2.38 m tall.
Habitat: Moist woods in east central Saskatchewan.
Abundance: This plant is rare, ranked as an S2 (as of 2021) by the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre.
When and where photographed: Took the above photos on June 16th roadside in moist mixed woods, boreal Forest, 450 km north east of our home in Regina, SK.