Black Elder vs Castor

Sambucus nigra compared with Ricinus communis

Key Differences

• Black Elder is Least Concern while Castor is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Elder	Castor
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Dipsacales (Dipsacales)	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family	Viburnaceae	Euphorbiaceae
Genus	Sambucus	Ricinus
Species	Sambucus nigra	Ricinus communis

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Black Elder

LC — Least Concern

Castor

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Elder	Castor
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).

Castor

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (33 countries), Asia (26 countries), Europe (23 countries), North America (15 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (14 countries), and South America (12 countries).

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...

Castor

The Castor (Ricinus communis) is a species in the genus Ricinus. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 7 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and hi

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 33 countries:

🇦🇺 Australia 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇴 Bolivia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇱 Chile 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇨🇩 Congo (DRC) 🇨🇾 Cyprus 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇪🇪 Estonia 🇪🇹 Ethiopia 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇳 India 🇮🇷 Iran 🇮🇱 Israel 🇱🇹 Lithuania 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇲🇹 Malta 🇫🇲 Micronesia 🇲🇦 Morocco 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇼 Palau 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇬 Uganda 🇺🇸 United States 🇿🇲 Zambia