Susun Weeds Wise Woman Forum

Heylo wise folk,
I have a plant growing in pots, because she so readily spreads and forms a thicket, she shoots up from rootstock readily, which I bought as Elderberry but am trying to work out which Sambucus and if I can work with her medicinally. Any input appreciated. Her bark and bigger shoots don't have, but her growing tips do, a single line of hairs along one side and then up the main vein of her leaf. On her serrated edged compound leaves, which are imparipinnate, some leaflets at the base have 2 or 3 leaflets joined together, while furthur up they are singular. Im not trying to be a smart ass using botanical language but to give the best picture I can without a picture. Her flowers look like classic Elderberry clusters. I am in Australia in the subtropics. Thanks...

Elders can be quite different- two common ones in Aussie are the Golden Elder and the Black Elder.
Wait til she flowers and you'll know- the main difference is in the leaf colour. Both are medicinal.

Thanx for the reply Blue Wren!
I have numerous pots with plants of varying sizes, and this year they flowered and some of the fruit set! A rather meagre harvest, but there were enough to have a wee taste, mmm. Ive heard that fruit set better with two species of Elders growing nearby, so we may have a couple going on. Apparently it also takes 3-4 years for them to reach max fruiting. I hadnt heard of Golden Elderberry so shall do some research on her ways! I have decided what we have aint Red elder, aka Sambucus racemosa, whos flowers seem to form a rising upright cluster like a Poplar tree, whereas ours are a flatter spread out shape like an African savanna tree....