The humble bush-like Elder tree grows everywhere here in Sweden. It’s found in private gardens and public parks, in hedges, forests and waysides. Fläder, in Swedish, is part of everyday life here. In fact, you can say that the Swedish summer begins with elderflowers and ends with elderberries. And both are used! There’s also a ton of history – folklore even – surrounding Nordic people and the Elder tree.
Elder, fläder in Swedish, Sambucus Nigra L. to scientists. So much to learn about this tree, so let’s dive in!
Identifying an Elder
Elders can grow anywhere from 2 meters to 10 meters high and they are found almost anywhere – in forests, parks, private gardens, roadsides, etc. They look more like a shrub because they are wild, busy and untidy. And instead of emerging from the ground on a single, main trunk, they grow on several branches.
They bloom in late spring, their flowers growing in clusters, often called sprays or umbels, that can measure anywhere from 5 to 30 cm across. The flowers are very small and a creamy white color. When ripe and in full bloom, you can see that each tiny flower has 5 rounded petals, white stamens (stalks) and lemony yellow anthers (pollen sacks attached to each stamen). If they have the 5 rounded petals but no stamens and anthers, then it could be hogweed instead of elder. If they have black stamens instead of white ones, it could be hawthorn. Other plants mistaken for elder are rowan and pyracantha. My son sometimes asks if cow parsley is elderflowers – but no, cow parsley, also called Queen Ann’s Lace, are more like weeds, they grow on stems rooted directly in the ground, rather than on branches attached to another root branch.
Because other creamy flowers are often mistaken for elder, it’s important to look at the leaves too. Elder leaves have a tooth, or serrated, edge. On each twig you will find one terminal leaf, plus 2 or 3 pairs of leaves growing directly opposite each other. If the leaves are serrated but growing staggered, then it’s not an elder.
Once you get to know the Elder, you will be able to identify it purely by it’s scent. It’s hard to describe but also hard to forget.
Every part of the tree can be used
In days gone by, Elder was referred to as Nature’s apothecary or “the poor man’s medicine chest” because every single part of tree – roots, bark, heartwood, leaves, berries, flowers – can be used.
Elderflowers
In late spring/early summer, clusters of creamy white flowers burst out of elder trees like umbels (corymbs, technically). Do not confuse them with other small creamy flowers that bloom earlier in spring! Check our identification guide above. When ripe, elderflowers burst with pollen and scent that has become nostalgic to me. Only pick them when ripe (not unripe green, and not overripe brown), and preferably on a warm, sunny day when the blossoms are heavy with pollen.
Elderflowers have some natural yeast on them, which is why they’re often used to make fermented drinks. The little bit of natural yeast supports the fermentation process, leading to a lovely flavor. Elderflower champagne. Elderflower cordials. Elderflower juice or lemonade. All common things here! It’s not uncommon to see an elderflower beverage of some sort sitting in the middle of a midsummer table.
Other culinary uses for elderflowers include elderflower fritters, pancakes, ice cream, jam or marmalade, and pretty much any dessert imaginable.
Medicinally, elderflowers are used to treat both body and skin. They are expectorant and diaphoretic, and thus help manage and reduce fevers and to detox the body of toxins. Elderflowers are also anti-viral and are useful in combating a plethora of viruses, including herpes simplex type 1 virus (responsible for cold sores). When combined with nettles – another spring plant – they’re a remedy for hay fever (bye bye spring allergies).
For skin, they make excellent cleansers. In our great-grandmother’s time, elderflower water and elderflower extract were household names used by women to improve or maintain their complexion. It is the Eau de Sureau of our continent. They were thought to remove any dirt or grime, soften the skin and even skin tone. Perhaps due to their gentle astringent properties.
When we bought our home some 20 years ago, the old lady who had lived all her life here without electricity, mains water or sanitation, still came back to collect the flowers from an elder bush so she could make soap and shampoo from them. She had done so for more than 50 years from the same bush, and said that nothing else was so effective or gentle on her skin.
Thus why we infuse our Cleansing Face Oil with wildcrafted elderflowers! I honestly notice a difference in my skin when the elderflowers are left out of the oil blend. Their astringent properties can refine the overall complexion, while their anti-microbial and anti-fungal compounds can help skin stay clear and strong. Because the flowers are rich in vitamins, flavonoids, antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory properties, they support the skin in staying fresh, firm and protected from free radical damage.
Elderflowers were used by our ancestors to treat respiratory issues, sinus issues and even serious diseases like measles. There’s a good old-fashioned remedy for colds and sore throats when taken hot at bedtime. Elderflower steeped vinegar was also a popular treatment for sore throats. When those late spring strains of influenza hit, people made a strong infusion of elderflowers and peppermint – which reputedly worked wonders if taken early on. Elderflower tea was used to a spring tonic to purify the blood, as well as a pain reliever in the case of hemorrhoids and other inflammatory conditions. The blossoms can cause sweating (diaphoretic), increased urine (diuretic) and relive constipation. There are many more potential benefits, according to articles like this and this.
After a short but sweet period in full bloom, the flowers become clusters of very small berries. Initially green, the berries gradually begin to drop earthwards as they ripen. At the end of the summer they are dark purple and heavy, as if wanting to drip from the bough.
Elderberries
The berries also give us so much. In fact, they give us exactly what we need as the cold winter settles in. Plus they’ve been used as a plant dye for eons. People used to dye their hair with them, as well as textiles. I actually experimented with elderberry dye a couple of years ago on both untreated wool and linen. Gorgeous result!
Like the flowers, elderberries make popular fermented drinks, particularly elderberry wine, often called elder wine, or other juices that are known to support the body.
Related Reading: 15 ways to use and love Elderberries!
Maybe you’ve also heard of elderberry syrup? I make it every year for my family and tel you exactly how to make it here 🙂 It is a truly amazing in dealing with winter viruses – cold and flu, bronchitis, asthma flare-ups, etc. You can also take it as preventative “medicine” because it’s very safe, even for kids. When cooking the elderberries, I add some sprigs of thyme, a cinnamon stick and/or a knob of fresh ginger as well.
The berries are loaded with vitamins, tannins, antioxidants and so many other beneficial properties. Like the flowers, they can be cooked down into jams, made into pies or cakes. One year I attempted to make a ketchup with elderberries, which a lot of people rave about. We didn’t love it. I might need to try a different recipe next time. Like the flowers, the berries must always be cooked thoroughly because they can be toxic to the body when ingested raw.
Historically, elderberries have been used to threat rheumatic disorders, respiratory diseases like asthma, chronic colds and flus. They also promote detoxification so please note that if you do make a syrup, a little goes a long way, especially when give to children.
They have been used as a diaphoretic, antipyretic and diuretic agent. In recent years, this study reveals, elderberries have been found to have antibacterial, antiviral antidepressant and anti-tumor and hypoglycemic properties, and to reduce body fat and lipid concentration. We still have much to learn about their potential.
Elder Leaves
Though the leaves should never be ingested, they are useful for topical treatments, e.g. in salves for bruising, sore muscles and inflamed areas. They are also known to work as an anodyne or relaxant to relieve pain.
Another random benefit: the leaves ward off flies. Leafy branches were often hung in cow stables, and horses have been known to seek out elder trees when the flies are bothering them. I hate the annoying flies on a hot summer day, so I’ll for sure try sitting under the elder in my garden when that happens. It can make you sleepy though, sitting under an elder tree, thanks to its cyanide compounds which are slight narcotics.
Elder Wood
Gotta mention Harry Potter here. J.K. Rowling, when constructing the most powerful wand ever made, chose Elder wood. “Only a minority of trees can produce wand quality wood (just as a minority of humans can produce magic). It takes years of experience to tell which ones have the gift,” said master wandmaker, Garrick Ollivander.
But seriously, the wood was often used to make tubes and pipes, whistles and other musical instruments.
And on the dead wood and branches of Elder grows one of the most amazing edible mushrooms, the Jelly Ear Fungus. So even in its death, the Elder keeps on giving.
Folklore and Mythology
There’s perhaps no tree in northern Europe with more folklore surrounding it.
All northern Europeans, from Denmark upwards and over to Ireland, believed that the Elder tree was inhabited by the Elder Mother. For all of her gifts to us, she wanted people’s respect in return, so people had to ask for her permission before taking from her and then offer gratitude. Depending on the culture, this could mean a song or even an offering.
There are some sinister stories involved Elder Mother, however. For example, she would pinch babies black and blue if they were laid in cribs made of elder wood. She would bring disaster if anyone tried to burn elder wood in their kiln. In fact if you burned the wood at all, you would see the devil himself. Folklore also stated that fairies would visit anyone who fell asleep under her tree. There are other myths – but why? Why did the Elder earn such a bad reputation in some cultures?
Many believe it goes back to Christianity. Elder is known as the Mother, or the Crone, a wise, old woman. The tree is associated with feminine knowledge and the sacred feminine, which Christianity sought to stamp out as quickly as possible. Just consider the story of Eve! Feminine knowledge was feared and was reconstructed into something evil, something associated with the devil and witchery. Witches were to be burned. And actually, as Christianity began to spread around northern Europe, Elder trees were burned alongside witches, systematically.
Early Christianity made deliberate strange associations between pagan beliefs and the devil. The Elder was one such being who was demonized, along with many other trees and plants.
But the poor Elder had it really bad, because at some point, legend has it that Judas Iscariot hung himself from an Elder tree. Another legend even ‘accused’ Elder of supplying the wood for Jesus’s crucifixion cross. We know this was virtually impossible due to the small size of elder trees and how weak the wood is – it’s not even good for burning! – so clearly the legends were weak too. But a lot of Europeans believed them for a long time. And like all feminine knowledge and sovereignty, the Elder was unfairly treated to the detriment of all.
It’s no accident that this systematic suppression of the feminine has been accompanied down the centuries not only by the devaluation of all that is wild and instinctual in our own natures, but by the purposeful destruction of natural ecosystems. We long ago turned our backs on the planet which gives us life.
Sharon Blackie, If Women Rose Rooted
There are some beautiful Native American myths that give us some additional insight into the magic of the Elder tree. I don’t have time to share them all here today, but look up the Miwok legends How the Tol-le-loo Stole Fire and also the Birth of Wik’-Wek and the Creation of Man. There is another legend, How O’-Ye The Coyote-man Discovered his Wife, which states that the Elder tree was one of the first few trees planted as the world was first created.
We actually planted an Elder tree in our garden when my son Bastian was born. His placenta is planted just beneath, nourishing the soil. I wasn’t planning on doing this, but the midwives who were at his birth encouraged it. I am so grateful now! What a special thing to see the growth of “his” tree 9 months later. The placenta is such a life-giving organ, full of nutrients and almost miraculous power. It deserves a little respect, right? Instead of tossing it in the trash, we buried it as if it were part of our family (it was part of our bodies, actually) in a patch of earth just below the window in the room where he was born. The Elder is now growing tall there.
Plenty of reasons to love our Elders, even more than I’ve been able to share here now.
And what about your inner elder… have you honored her today?
xo