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Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea)
Shrubs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea)

General: Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea) is an upright shrub to several feet tall. Leaves opposite, toothed, compound (leaflets 3 to 9, leaflets 3 to 20 cm in length). Flowers, white, small, five-petalled, in cymose inflorescences. Fruit is a drupe (a cherry-like fruit). The stems are hollow.

Blue Elderberry is an uncommon component of vegetation communities in wet mountainous area in the Transition (Yellow Pine Forest) and Canadian (Pine-Fir Forest) life zones. This plant used to be rare on Mt. Charleston, but it seems more common now.

Around Las Vegas, look for Blue Elderberry in wet canyons up on Mt. Charleston (e.g., Cathedral Rock Trail, Mack's Canyon, Cold Creek).

Family: Moschatel (Adoxaceae); formerly Caprifoliaceae. Also called Mexican elderberry, elder.

Caution: all parts of this plant (except the flesh of ripe berries) are poisonous to humans.

Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry flowers (backside)
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry with unripe berries
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry with ripe berry clusters
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry with ripe and unripe berry clusters
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry with ripening fruits
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry ripe fruits
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry ripe fruits
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Blue Elderberry ripe fruits

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
copyright; Last updated 240629

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