Coastal Red Elderberry vs southern elder

Sambucus racemosa compared with Sambucus australis

Key Differences

• Coastal Red Elderberry is Least Concern while southern elder is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Red Elderberry	southern elder
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Dipsacales (Dipsacales)	Dipsacales (Dipsacales)
Family same	Viburnaceae	Viburnaceae
Genus same	Sambucus	Sambucus
Species	Sambucus racemosa	Sambucus australis

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Red Elderberry and southern elder share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Sambucus.

Conservation Status

Coastal Red Elderberry

LC — Least Concern

southern elder

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Red Elderberry	southern elder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

southern elder

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Brazil.

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.