seeds of Sambucus racemosa, Red Elderberry

Sambucus racemosa, also called red elderberry, is a plant species that belongs to the family Adoxaceae. Synonyms include Sambucus racemosa subsp. racemosa, Sambucus racemosa subsp. kamtschatica, and Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa. Another common name for the plant is the red-berried elder. The plant has its origins in North America, Europe and Northern temperate parts of Asia. Sambucus racemosa is a shrub that can attain a height of 2 to 6 metres at maturity. The compound leaves are composed of between 5 to 7 leaflets which can grow to a length of 16 cm. The leaflets have a toothed-margin, a lance-like shape and give off an awful smell when one crushes them. Flowers are yellowish, white or cream, fragrant and grow in cymes. Fruits are purple and red and contain 3 to 5 seeds. Sambucus racemosa has edible fruits and flowers that one can either cook or eat raw. The fruit is rich in carbohydrates, fat and protein and makes for a nutritious food source. In case one finds the fruit’s rank taste disagreeable one can always dry the fruit to minimise it. The plant’s roots can be of use when making tea. Sambucus racemosa also provides several medicinal remedies for the treatment of various ailments. Such medicines are purported to have diaphoretic, diuretic, purgative, anodyne, depurative and carminative properties that aid them in their purpose. The medicinal remedies are relied upon as a cure for measles, diarrhoea, dermatological problems and coughs. Sambucus racemosa repels a significant number of insects. One can, therefore, plant Sambucus racemosa in between crops to keep the pests away. The shrub also serves as the source of the wood used to make whistles due to the fact that the stem can be hollowed out easily. Successful propagation of Sambucus racemosa is viable through seeds, half-ripe cuttings and mature cuttings.