Black Elder vs Black Maple

Sambucus nigra compared with Acer nigrum

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Elder	Black Maple
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Dipsacales (Dipsacales)	Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family	Viburnaceae	Sapindaceae
Genus	Sambucus	Acer
Species	Sambucus nigra	Acer nigrum

Evolutionary Relationship

Black Elder and Black Maple share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Black Elder

LC — Least Concern

Black Maple

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Elder	Black Maple
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Elder

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 10 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (11 countries), Asia (6 countries), Europe (15 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (4 countries), and South America (5 countries).

Black Maple

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Canada and United States.

Black Elder

The Black Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a species in the genus Sambucus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 10 distinct biome types. Populations are also fou. Widely distributed across Africa (11 countries), Asia (6 countries), Europe (15 countries), North America (Canada, Unite...

Black Maple

The Black Maple (Acer nigrum) is a species in the genus Acer. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 United States