Coastal Red Elderberry vs Gaoyuan Shutu

Sambucus racemosa compared with Ochotona curzoniae

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Red Elderberry	Gaoyuan Shutu
Kingdom	Plantae (植物)	Animalia (动物界)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (木兰植物门)	Chordata (脊索动物门)
Class	Magnoliopsida (木兰纲)	Mammalia (哺乳動物)
Order	Dipsacales (川续断目)	Lagomorpha (兔形目)
Family	Viburnaceae	Ochotonidae
Genus	Sambucus	Ochotona
Species	Sambucus racemosa	Ochotona curzoniae

Conservation Status

Coastal Red Elderberry

LC — Least Concern

Gaoyuan Shutu

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Red Elderberry	Gaoyuan Shutu
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).

Gaoyuan Shutu

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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.