Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea

'Sambucus nigra'' ssp. cerulea (Blue elderberry, Mexican elderberry' ) is a subspecies of Sambucus nigra''. It is found in western North America in Canada (British Columbia), Mexico, and the United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming).

Description
It is a shrub or small tree growing up to 25 ft (7.6 m) tall bearing several trunks reaching 1 ft (0.3 m) in diameter with gray or brown bark. On its many branches are opposite evergreen leaves, pinnately compound, growing from 5-7 in (13-18 cm) long. The flowers are colored white, reaching $1/4$ in (6 mm) wide in clusters of 4-8. Fruits are dark blue berries, reaching the same size as the flowers. Most of the parts of the plant are toxic, with an exception of the fruit, which is edible when ripe.

Uses
Its sweet berries have been used in pies and preserves, but should never be eaten fresh or raw, due to the toxicity of the fruit when not ripe. The plant is used as an ornamental plant due to its flowers and blue fruit. The bark has been used as a remedy to fever.

Discovery
The plant was first discovered on February 2, 1806 at Fort Clatsop by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during the Corps of Discovery. They first described it as an alder, with sky-blue berries.

Synonyms

 * Sambucus caerulea Raf.
 * Sambucus glauca Nutt.
 * Sambucus neomexicana Woot.
 * Sambucus velutina Durand ex Hilg.

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