Bear-Grape vs Coastal Red Elderberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi compared with Sambucus racemosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Bear-Grape	Coastal Red Elderberry
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Ericales (Ericales)	Dipsacales (Dipsacales)
Family	Ericaceae	Viburnaceae
Genus	Arctostaphylos	Sambucus
Species	Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Sambucus racemosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Bear-Grape and Coastal Red Elderberry share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Bear-Grape

LC — Least Concern

Coastal Red Elderberry

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Bear-Grape	Coastal Red Elderberry
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Bear-Grape

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Coastal Red Elderberry

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (15 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Bear-Grape

The Bear-Grape (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a species in the genus Arctostaphylos. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Coastal Red Elderberry

Coastal red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) is a deciduous shrub in the family Adoxaceae, found across a broad range spanning Europe, northern Asia, and North America. It grows in forest edges, hedgerows, coastal scrub, rocky slopes, and disturbed habitats from sea level to montane elevations. The plant bears large pinnate leaves, domed clusters of creamy white flowers in spring, and conspicuous bright red berry clusters in late summer. Its fruits are an important food source for thrushes, waxwings, and other frugivorous birds, facilitating seed dispersal across its range. Raw berries and other parts of the plant contain glycoalkaloids and should not be consumed by humans without proper preparation. Coastal red elderberry is a pioneer species that colonises disturbed ground rapidly through bird-dispersed seed. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable populations across a vast geographic range. In coastal habitats, it often forms dense shrubby thickets alongside willows and alders. Traditional uses by Indigenous peoples of North America include medicinal preparations and the harvesting of cooked berries for food.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 7 countries:

🇨🇦 Canada 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States