A fast-growing, hardy California native shrub, the Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana) is a versatile plant for many landscape applications. When shaped into the appropriate form, a Blue Elderberry tree can be used an attractive, winter deciduous specimen tree.
Its large clusters of cream-colored flowers in spring and namesake berries in fall are important food sources for California wildlife, attracting numerous butterflies, bees, birds, and other animals.
The Blue Elderberry fruit turns a powdery blackish-blue when ripe. Some people choose to eat this nutrient-dense fruit, waiting until it is fully ripe to cook into syrup, wine, pie, and jam, as well as herbal medicines.
When planting a Blue Elderberry tree, choose a spot with full sun and well-draining moist, rich soil.
Sambucus mexicana - Blue Elderberry Tree/Blue Elderberry Shrub
Optimal Growth Conditions
- Mature Height: 6 - 30 feet tall
- Mature Width: 6 - 12 feet wide
- Sun: Full Sun, Filtered Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Shade
- Water: Low, Moderate
- Soil Drainage: Fast, Medium
Geographic Appropriateness
- USDA Zone: Zones 6 - 10
- Sunset Zone: Zones 2 - 24
- Native Sites: Streambanks, slope bottoms, canyons, slightly moister places throughout the state; also found with a variety of vegetation types including chaparral, sage scrub, grassland, and wetland-riparian
Additional Landscaping Information
- Characteristics: California Native, Flowering, Drought Tolerant, Winter Deciduous, Specimen Tree, Fragrant, Edible, Deer Resistant
- Special Uses: Rain Gardens, Arroyos/Dry Creek Beds