Elder Berries

Western Bulk Herbs – Elder Berries

The elder has a long history of medical uses. Elder berries have been used for coughs, colds, arthritis, and respiratory problems. Back in “ye olden times” they made a wine out of the berries to fight off colds and coughs.

Studies on elder flower show it reduces inflammations and increases sweating as well as increases the production of urine, which is good because it flush out toxins from the body. The flower from the elder tree helps thin mucus in the lungs and relieves congestion and allergies.

It reduces fevers and can be a mild laxative but at the same time it helps relieve diarrhea. A wonderful healing herb to have in your cupboard.

Latin Name:
Sambucus nigra

Common Names:
Black elder, American elder, Sambucus spp (Nigra for berries and Canadensis for flowers), Common Elder, Black Elder, Bour Tree, and European Black Elder

Parts Used:
The flowers or berries

Properties:
Diuretic, laxative, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, the fruits have antioxidant properties.

Traditional Uses:
Teas, tinctures, capsules, syrups, wine, cordials, and even ketchup, often combined with propolis or echinacea. The berries make an excellent home-made wine and winter cordial, which improves with age, and taken hot with sugar, just before going to bed, is an old-fashioned cure for a cold.

Culinary Uses:
Can be added to apple, strawberry, peach, and other fruit jams and jellies. You can also add elder flower to salads or soups.

Cautions:
GRAS: Generally Recognized As Safe. This herb can be safely consumed when used appropriately.

Folk Lore:
You can bet your great grandmother and grandmother had a bottle of elder flower water n their toilet table. It was used to keep the skin fair and white. It was the best thing they knew for freckles and sunburn and keep their face free of blemishes.

Culpepper states: ‘The first shoots of the common Elder, boiled like Asparagus, and the young leaves and stalks boiled in fat broth, doth mightily carry forth phlegm and choler. The middle or inward bark boiled in water and given in drink wortheth much more violently; and the berries, either green or dry, expel the same humour, and are often given with good success in dropsy; the bark of the root boiled in wine, or the juice thereof drunk, worketh the same effects, but more powerfully than either the leaves or fruit. The juice of the root taken, causes vomitings and purgeth the watery humours of the dropsy.’

“In earlier days, the Elder Tree was supposed to ward off evil influence and give protection from witches, a popular belief held in widely-distant countries.

Lady Northcote says:’The Russians believe that Elder-trees drive away evil spirits, and the Bohemians go to it with a spell to take away fever. The Sicilians think that sticks of its wood will kill serpents and drive away robbers, and the Serbs introduce a stick of Elder into their wedding ceremonies to bring good luck. In England it was thought that the Elder was never struck by lightning, and a twig of it tied into three or four knots and carried in the pocket was a charm against rheumatism. A cross made of Elder and fastened to cowhouses and stables was supposed to keep all evil from the animals.” https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/e/elder-04.html

*Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.