American elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A shrub of moist thickets and stream edges with broad white flower clusters and dark purple fruit. Fully ripe berries are used cooked in preserves and desserts.
Native range
Eastern and central North America, including Ontario. Recorded widely in the Toronto region's wild flora.
Typical season
Late-summer fruit reference; the food reference is cooked ripe berries, not raw berries. Crop timing varies by site.
Identification
Check opposite compound leaves, broad flattened flower clusters and branching clusters of dark ripe berries together. Remove stems and use only fully ripe, thoroughly cooked berries. Raw or unripe fruit, leaves and stems can cause poisoning. Red-berried elder and unrelated dark berries are not interchangeable.