nature of your neighborhood logo

Blue elderberry

Blue Elderberry, Mexican Elderberry, or Tapiro is a deciduous shrub or small tree, growing up to as tall as 30 feet. It is native from Oregon to Baja all the way to western Texas. It has cream or yellow flowers in the spring and purple berries in the fall. Its berries are one of the most important source of food for birds in California. Blue Elderberry is tough, easy to grow, and grows very rapidly. It can grow from a 1 gallon container to a 15 foot tree in 3 years if happy. It handles a variety of different soil moisture levels once established. It can handle permanently moist soil near stream sides or seeps, and will thrive next to or in regularly irrigated areas. Once established, it also grows well in fairly dry soils, though in drier conditions it will normally go deciduous or semi-deciduous in the summer and fall, and green up in the early winter. Drought-stressed Blue Elderberry’s often end up more attractive than ones that get plenty of year round water, frequently developing interesting gnarled branches and thicker though shorter trunks over time. It likes part shade or sun, and will tolerate full shade, though in full shade it will look rangy as its branches search out for more sun. Description from calscape.org

Home  >  Plant Guide  >  

Blue elderberry

Blue elderberry fast facts

Scientific Name

Sambucus caerulea

Family

Caprifoliaceae

Garden Type

Edible Garden, Rain Garden Appropriate, Anywhere

Wildlife

Birds

Native Plant Region

Western WA, PNW, North America

Light needs

Filtered, Full Shade

Water Needs

Dry

Plant Type

Deciduous, Perennial, Shrub

Bloom Color(s)

White

Height

10 + feet

Width

5 – 10 feet

Months in Bloom

April, May, June

Safe Beneath Power Lines?

No
Blue elderberry

Have feedback on this plant listing?

We’d like to maintain accurate and robust plant listings. If you see information that is not correct or that could be added to improve the listing, please let us know. Or if you’d like to suggest a plant to add to our plant guide, you can use this form do so. Thank you!

Start Nurturing Your Neighborhood Today

Gardening

How to Keep and Care for Mason Bees

This workshop will guide you through the process and materials needed to help you decide if Mason Bees are right for you and your garden, whether you have a small deck or an open garden.

READ MORE
Varied Thrush by Tania Simpson
Community

Urban Birding in Capitol Hill

Take a virtual trip across Capitol Hill to learn about urban habitat types, how to identify the unique birds they support, and what we can do to make the neighborhood a safer place for them to live.

READ MORE
seedlings
Community

Capitol Hill Seed Library

Gardeners can check out seeds for free from the library to plant. Then after harvest, gardeners bring seeds back to the library for others to enjoy in future growing seasons.

READ MORE
fern
Community

The Nature of Capitol Hill

Despite the urban character and the high population density, a surprising diversity of life exists in Capitol Hill. Explore a few physical aspects of our urban ecosystems and meet some of its more-than-human residents.

READ MORE