American Black Elderberry vs Coastal Red Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis compared with Sambucus racemosa

Key Differences

• American Black Elderberry is Not Evaluated while Coastal Red Elderberry is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American Black Elderberry	Coastal Red Elderberry
Kingdom same	Plantae (植物)	Plantae (植物)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)	Magnoliophyta (被子植物門)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)	Magnoliopsida (モクレン綱)
Order same	Dipsacales (マツムシソウ目)	Dipsacales (マツムシソウ目)
Family same	Viburnaceae	Viburnaceae
Genus same	Sambucus	Sambucus
Species	Sambucus canadensis	Sambucus racemosa

Evolutionary Relationship

American Black Elderberry and Coastal Red Elderberry share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Sambucus.

Conservation Status

American Black Elderberry

NE — Not Evaluated

Coastal Red Elderberry

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American Black Elderberry	Coastal Red Elderberry
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Black Elderberry

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (4 countries), Asia (Maldives, Nepal), Europe (5 countries), North America (Canada, Cuba, United States), and South America (Brazil).

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).

American Black Elderberry

The American Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a species in the genus Sambucus. 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:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇦 Canada 🇫🇷 France 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇪🇸 Spain 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States