American Black Elderberry

Also called Black Elder, Mexican Elderberry, and Sauco, this bushy, wide spreading, perennial shrub grows 10 to 15 feet tall with deciduous compound leaves. It produces numerous white flowers during the summer and purple-black berries in late summer and fall that are eaten by many bird and mammal species. It grows in partial shade and in a variety of wet to dry soils, but is best in rich, moist, slightly acidic soils.