Common names: Elder, Bour tree

Irish name: Tromán

Latin name: Sambucus nigra

Family: Adoxaceae

Origin: Native

Tree type: Deciduous broadleaf tree

How it looks

Shape, bark, twigs 

Elder grows as trees up to 15m or as short shrubs. They only grow a few branches from low down, and they are often curved. The tree has a corky, furrowed, light grey-brown coloured bark. Young twigs are green and have beige breathing pores called lenticels. They also smell terrible! Twigs are often hollow or have a white spongy tissue inside. As they age, they turn grey and can be quite brittle.  

Buds 

The buds are large, purple, and ragged in appearance, arranged in pairs opposite each other. 

Leaves 

When the buds burst in spring, the emerging leaves have a red tinge to them. Each leaf has 5–7 oval and toothed leaflets arranged in opposite pairs, with one leaflet at the end of the stem. The leaves also have an unpleasant smell, which is released when touched or bruised.  

Flowers 

Between April and June, elders burst with sweet-scented, creamy white flowers. The flowers are arranged in large flat-topped umbels, which are clusters of flowers on single stems, all arising from the same place. Each Umble is 10-20cm, each containing lots of small individual flowers (5-6mm) with five petals. Elder flowers are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive organs in each flower. 

Fruits 

After pollination by insects, each flower transforms into a small, purple-black, sour berry, which ripens from late August to September. The 6–8mm fruit is much loved by birds and mammals such as badgers, which help to disperse the tree's seeds. 

Similar species 

Elder is not easily confused with other species.

Where to find it

Elder is widespread in many temperate and subtropical regions of the world and is native to Ireland, Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia. 

It’s a hardy, light-loving, fast-growing species which grows well on most soil types, provided they are fertile and moist to well-drained. They are commonly found in woodlands, scrub, hedgerows, gardens, wasteland and along lanes throughout Ireland. It’s often found near rabbit warrens or badger latrines, where the animals disperse the seed via their droppings.

Cultural importance

History | Myth | Literature

History 

In early Medieval Ireland (c. 400-1100 AD) elder was considered one of the ‘lower divisions of the wood’. This is perhaps because its wood was not economically valuable. It was also likely due to the fact that the elder tree was considered malevolent or cursed. This is evident in a ninth-century Irish texts which states: ‘three signs of a cursed place: elder, corncrake, nettle’. Nevertheless, it was still used in the later Medieval period to represent the letter 'R' in the Irish ogham alphabet:

The berries and flowers of the elder have long been used to make syrups, wines and dye, whilst elder wood was used to make pipes, whistles and other musical instruments. Elder foliage was used to keep flies away, and branches were often hung around dairies. In Scotland, Elder was historically used to hand-dye Harris Tweed. While in Anglo-Saxon England, the hollow stems of the elder were used to make bellows for fire. Indeed, it is thought that the name ‘elder’ comes from the Anglo-saxon word ‘aeld’ which means ‘fire’.  

The cultural significance of elder can also be found in placenames. For instance, the town of Trim, Co. Meath in Ireland takes its name from the elder; its Irish name translating as ‘Town of the Ford of the Elder Trees’.

Myth, Legend and Folklore 

Elder appears to have been perceived as an unlucky tree in many countries. It was considered unlucky to burn it as it might bring the devil, death or some other misfortune upon the house. This is apparent in one of the Irish myths in which Fionn and his followers are welcomed into a house where the attendant throws an alder log on the fire. Following this incident, Fionn and his men are attacked by phantoms. In the same vein, elder was often associated with witchcraft. In Scotland and the Isle of Man, the tree was also linked with the fairy realm as a favourite tree of the fairies. In addition, it is widely thought that the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made of elder.

Although elder tends to be thought of in a negative light, it could also be used to ward off evil and witchcraft, and it was believed an elder growing near one’s house would ensure protection against such influences. Other Northern European traditions actually believed the elder was a gift from the earth and that to be born under its influence was a blessing. Indeed, it has also been suggested that the name elder may come from 'Hylde-Moer' the Scandinavian Goddess whose spirit was believed to reside within the tree. In this tradition, the elder was also a symbol of protection and regeneration. Elder was similarly recognised for its healing and curative properties.

Literature 

In his play Love’s Labours Lost, Shakespeare refers to this, while in the tragedy of Cymbeline, he associates elder with grief. 

Value to wildlife

Elder trees have huge wildlife value. In Spring, you will often hear elder trees buzzing with insects, feeding on the nectar and pollen the flowers provide. In autumn, the fruits are a favourite of birds and mammals. Many moth caterpillars feed on elder leaves, including the dot moth, white-spotted pug, buff ermine and swallowtail. Their hollow branches provide nest chambers for solitary bees and shelter for hibernating insects.

Threats

Elder trees aren’t generally prone to serious pests or diseases. To learn more about threats to Irish trees, visit ‘Threats to Trees.’

Uses

Flowers and berries of elder trees are used in cooking to make teas, jelly, syrups, elderflower, champagne, and wine, with elderberry syrups being used to manage symptoms of colds and the flu. However, it is important to note that the uncooked berries and other parts of the plant are poisonous. 

Elder is also used as an ingredient in skin cleansers and eye lotions.

Elder can be used to make a variety of coloured dyes. Blue and purple dye was from the berries, yellow and green from the leaves, and grey and black dye were made from the bark.  

Mature elder wood is hard and a nice yellow-white colour, great for whittling and carving. Smaller stems can be hollowed out for craft items such as a homemade flute or whistle. 

References

French, N. 2023. Trim. Meath History Hub. Online: Trim – Meath History Hub with Noel French 

Kelly, F. 1999. Trees in Early Ireland, Augustine Henry Memorial Lecture 11th March 1999, Irish forestry: Journal of the Society of Irish Foresters, 56, 39-57.  

MacCoitir, N. 2015. Ireland’s Trees: Myths, Legends and Folklore. Cork: The Collins Press. 

Morton, I. 2019. The history of the elder tree: From deities and dryads to Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling, Country Life. Online: The history of the elder tree: From deities and dryads to Shakespeare and J.K. Rowling - Country Life 

Stroh, P. A., Humphrey, T. A., Burkmar, R. J., Pescott, O. L., Roy, D. B., & Walker, K. J. 2023. BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020. https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas

Tree Council of Ireland. 2024. Native Irish Trees. Tree Council of Ireland. https://www.treecouncil.ie/native-irish-trees 

Trees for Life. 2024. Elder. Trees for Life. Elder tree facts and information | Trees for Life

Woodland Trust. 2024. A-Z of British trees. Woodland Trust. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/