Elder

Maybe you have heard that Elder is surrounded by mysterious folklore. By many elder is regarded as this meeting between worlds- connecting the afterlife to the waking life.

In German mythology people believe the tree is inhabited by a dyrad like spirit known as Elder Mother. The traditional lore around this story mentions the need to ask for permission before cutting her bark, unless you want to bring chaos and disaster onto your household.

(This asking for permission with harvesting any plant is something many herbalists believe and abide by with any plant we hope to commune with. )

Legend according to Celtic, Nordic, and English cultures says that elder is known as a fairy portal. It was not advised to sleep under an elder tree as you may invite yourself into an abduction by fairies, or even be banished to the underworld.

It is believed by some that the burning of elder wood invites demons and dark spirits. Despite all of the seemingly dark folklore and mythology around Elder- Elder is also recognized as a protector plant with the capacity to ward off negative and dark spirits. They act as this threshold between the worlds- connecting us to the afterlife, while protecting us from unwelcome spirits.

This centuries old plant has been used medicinally in many traditions. According to Penn State Extension use of elderberry in the Americas dates as far back as 1300-1000 BCE. In North America, Eurasia, and Southwestern China sambucus seeds have been found dating back as far as the Pilocene era at least 2.6 million years ago, according to ScienceDirect’s “Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.”

So much of this folklore, while eerie- points to how highly revered elder has been for centuries, and through out many different cultures & communities. While research on excavations for sambucus seeds is bountiful pointing to just how long this plant has been in circulation.

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I have been seeing elder everywhere here in Santa Cruz, California. Along roadsides, speckled on the sides of mountains, and even in the center of the freeway. When I see a plant medicine popping up everywhere like this I believe it is a foreshadowing for what illnesses we may see in the season to follow.

I truly believe that nature provides the medicine we need. And I also believe nature can foreshadow what kind of illnesses and imbalances we may see in the season ahead of us.

So when I see so much elder appearing, I cannot help but wonder if fall and winter is to bring a variety of respiratory and immune imbalances. Or on a more esoteric level- if we are needing to connect more with our spirit guides as well as loved ones that have passed.

The medicine we harvest first from elder is the flowers. And this is great because with these delicate little flowers- a little goes a long way. Making it easy to not take too many flowers from the plant. Because of course, those precious flowers are going to turn into those elderberries we want to harvest a bit later in the season.

It is always important to follow the honorable harvest and make sure you are not harvesting too much of a plant. We want to make sure we are leaving enough of the plant so that the local fauna can eat the berries and spread their seeds during seed dispersal. A pivotal part in the biodiversity of an ecosystem and the longevity of a plant genus like elder.

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Here are some of my favorite preperations for each plant part, and below you’ll see the full herbal monograph for sambucus nigra.

Elderflower

-tincture, infused honey

I like to use elderflower as a gentle and more regular immune ally. Elderflower can be taken with more frequency than its later stage-elderberry. I also find elderflower to be a very gentle nervine that helps me to open up to conversation and community when I am feeling more introverted.

The flowers of elder contain only trace amounts of cyanogenic glycosides so infusing it in a honey shouldn’t cause any nausea unless you are consuming far too much. For example if you are consuming tea from elderflower with large quantities of flower you may experience some nausea, your bodies sign to stop- and in the bigger picture, use far less. Remember- anytime we are using raw plant material a little goes a long way!

Elderberry

-tincture, syrup

My favorite thing to make with elderberry is tincture. I find that this gets the most out of the medicine and makes it so that I have medicine for months and even years to come. I either make a tincture right away with the berries after processing them, or I freeze them. Then when I need a batch of syrup or tincture I always have a stock of elderberries in the freezer.

I find that syrup uses more berries and does not result in as much product. When working with elderberry it is important to remember that this is a very strong plant part. High in cyanogenic glycosides that require heat and extraction to be safely consumed. That is why I find these two methods to be most effective for safely extracting elderberry medicine. Elderberry is not to be taken as daily immune support. As doing so can have long term effects on our immune system. The best time to use elderberry is when you are fighting off a sickness/feel something come on. Or for the duration of a cold/flu/respiratory virus.

Sambucus nigra

Family:Adoxaceae

Native habitat: North Africa, Europe, Western Asia

Parts Used: flowers, berries

Notes: 

• Elder has been revered for centuries as a guardian between worlds.

• Fast growing shrub that can grow to a small tree. 

• While many herbs do not gain clinical praise, parts like elderberry do and have been proven to support colds and flus.

• Excavations have revealed that ceremonial flints were modeled after the leaves of elder. 

• Carries folklore and myth in many European cultures.

• Grows easily from cuttings. 

• Contains cyanogenic glycosides that can be toxic when consumed in large doses, you can cook out this compound or use an alcohol extraction to safely dissolve this compound, that is then removed with the strained plant material. 

Tastes:

Sweet, bitter

Identification:

• Leaves:

  • Opposite, pinnately compound

  • 5-7 fine toothed leaflets with single leaflet coming off the central stem

• Flowers:

  • Large flat clusters of white to pale yellow flowers

  • Very fragrant and floral scent

• Berries:

  • Reddish to dark purple, can even have powdered looking dust on dark purple berries

  • Purple berries can become so dark they almost look black

Herbal Energetics: 

cooling, drying, relaxant

Herbal Actions:  

Flowers- Diaphoretic, antiviral, relaxant, nervine, antioxidant

Berries- immunomodulant, antiviral, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, diaphoretic, mild laxative, alterative

Tissue State Indications:

• damp/stagnation

• heat/excitation

• tension/constriction

Subtle body wisdom:

• Nature tells us the medicine we need and when we need it.

• Wisdom is an ancient source that we can draw upon when we are connected to a thread bigger than ourselves. 

• Nature is an ancient well of wisdom for us to connect with. 

• We are all innately connected to nature whether we know it or not. 

• Our spirit guides and loved ones that have passed on are always with us, and it is important we connect with them just like we do our loved ones on this earthly plane. 

• Respect your elders. 

• A little goes a long way. 

• Medicine can be both subtle and potent.

Contraindications:

• Contraindicated for those with autoimmune disorders

• Can interfere with immunosuppressant medications

• Can poorly interact with diabetic and diuretic medications

• Has a mild laxative effect