Home Orchard Education Center

Spirits, Mischief, Medicine, & Recipes! Those lovely edible (when cooked) clusters of tiny, jewel-like fruits we call Elderberries come from a fruitful group of tree-like shrubs known through Europe, North America, and beyond as “Elders.” Spoiler alert!Elderberries aren’t berries, but a structure called a “drupe” and here at Home Orchard Education Center, we can’t stop singing the praises of this versatile shrub. Read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about growing and utilizing this under-appreciated superfood. Sambucus,the scientific name for the Elder genus, comes from the Greek wordsambuke—an ancient wind instrument or flute, and likely refers to the widespread historical usage of this plant’s stems, which can be hollowed out by removing the soft pithy interior to make whistles. Steve Berman of the Talent Historical Society playing an elderberry flute. Elder, the common English name is traced by some sources back to the Anglo-Saxon wordaeld,meaning “fire”— because the stems were also used as a bellows, by blowing through them to coax a flame into fire. Eldermay also stem from a similar lineage as Alder, which has Middle English roots in words for “old” or “elder,” as in… “respect your elders, young whipper snapper!” Here in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, elderberries have been heavily relied upon by the Native Americans and First Peoples who share their ranges. The Haida, Quileute, Quinault, Skokomish, Okanagan, and Northern Paiute have all documented using these plants for food, medicine, dyes, baskets, instruments, and tools. Steeped In Folklore & Superstition! Throughout the British Isles, Elder trees have strong associations with the world offairies and spirits, both helpfulandmischievous. Elders were once widely associated with the idea of metaphysical transformation, and passage from one state of mind to another, and tend to pop up in folk stories, myths, and traditions in all manner of interesting and contradictory ways. Don’t Let The Devil In The House! Using the fragile, pithy twigs of Elders for kindling was once a common practice, but it was oddly taboo to burn its mature wood. Some believed to do so meant inviting misfortune into the house and risked seeing the Devil dancing in the flames! This belief may have resulted from the fact that burning the wood of some types of Elders may potentially result in cyanide poisoning if smoke is inhaled. Garden Design With Serious Consequences! The berries and flowers of Elders were common in the gardens of many older homes, however, the placement of the shrubs was apparently of great consequence! An interesting bit of mysterious lore tells us that Elder planted by yourfrontdoor, was thought to invite bad luck, mischief, and the threat of destructive house fires - oh my! However, when planted near thebackdoor, the very same Elder was said to bless your household with good health and a full pantry. Hmmmm. While the practice of planting gardens near the back door was often the norm, considering the standard layout of houses of this time where the kitchen was placed in the rear of the house - we aren’t quite sure how the jump was made to fire and misfortune when placed in front! Stinky Foliage:Crushed Elder foliage (espeically red elder which is also called Stinking Elder) is often thought to have an unpleasant, stinking smell said to drive away flies and other pests. It was often bundled and hung in places where baking was done, or where pies or loaves of bread were set out to cool. Sweet Blooms:The sweet, cloying scent of an Elder tree in full flower, however, was associated with the drowsiness of sleep. A person who fell asleep beneath an Elder tree was said to find themselves in the fairy realm when they awoke. Spooky! Elderberries, a rich source of Vitamins A, C, and B6are a popular ingredient in medicinal preparations for the treatment of colds and immune support. They posesses powerfulantioxidantscalledanthocyanins