Elderflower (Sambucus Nigra)
Parts Used: Leaf, flower, and berry
Botanical: The elder is found in abundance on wasteland, woods, hedgerows and gardens. It is so common that it is often ignored or considered a nuisance. Although the elder likes moist soil it grows everywhere if sheltered from the wind. The trunk is unusual, for as a sapling it sprouts several stems and each of these grows upward and finally drops over with the weight of its own foliage. Given its own room and light, the elder tree can grow to thirty feet in height.
Bark: The bark is light brown, thick, and covered in deep ridges and grooves. The branches are less rough and the smoother twigs are green and are marked with spots or brownish warts. These are caused by pores that the tree uses to breathe. The elder bark is diuretic and as a strong purgative its use dates back beyond Hippocrates. In ancient days it was used to treat the stomach and system in cases of food poisoning. The inner bark should be collected from young trees in autumn. In order to do this, the outer bark must be scraped off to reveal the green bark below. The green bark is removed in strips and then is dried in the sun.
Leaves: The leaves are broadly oval-shaped and are usually in groups of five to seven. The leaves are set opposite each other on the twig or branch. Because the buds are not protected by a weatherproof bud case, another smaller bud is produced beneath each main bud. These second buds only open if the main buds do not. They can remain dormant on the tree for a couple of years until needed. In this way there is no loss of leaves if the seasonal climate suddenly changes. The leaves are used in both their fresh and dried forms. They are gathered around midsummer when they are fresh with morning dew by stripping them off the stalks. If the leaves are going to be stored, they should be dried thoroughly in the sun. The leaves gathered from the elder on May eve were thought best to heal wounds.
Flowers: Flower buds form shortly after the appearance of the leaves the. By June they have opened and the tree is full of millions of individual flowers. The small creamy white flowers with green sepals behind them and have five petals that look like a star. In between the petals are five yellow stamens and in the center there is a cream colored ovary with a three lobed stigma. The stamens and stigmas mature at the same time allowing for cross fertilization to occur easily since insects are attracted to it because of its strong sweet scent. The flower clusters are built up from five very thin branches arising from the end of the main stalk. Each branch then divides into five smaller branches and may branch again before reaching the flowers. The flowers are all at the same level facing the sky. From below they appear to be umbrellas.
Berries: Elderberry wine was also once a commonly fermented beverage, though the tree itself was never taken down without reason. By late summer the flowers have developed into berries. The berries are green and hard at first but as the summer moves towards autumn they ripen. They turn into juice filled deep purple black fruit. They hang in heavy bunches called drupes and provide nourishment for birds. Birds will swoop to strip a tree of its berries. This is necessary for the birds will void the seeds and ensure further propagation.
Herbal Uses: Carpenters favor the close-grained wood finds. The berries provide a deep purple dye as well as culinary treats and the renowned elderberry wine. The berries and the leaves can be used in wine and jam. Both are rich in vitamin C. A tea made from the flowers is a good treatment of coughs and irritating throat conditions. A simple infusion of the fresh leaf is made to be used as an insect repellant. It can also be poured down mouse and mole holes. The berries are used for jam, wine, pies, and syrups. A shampoo made from the boiled berries has the effect of darkening the hair, as well as cleaning it. Various parts of the tree can be used to obtain different colored dyes. The bark provides a deep black dye; the leaves a rich green, and the flowers a blue or lilac dye. The stems have a soft center that can be hollowed out to make whistles.
Homeopathic Uses: Homeopaths use elder for conditions that accompany by heavy perspiration and coughs that are worse around midnight. It offers healing for a variety of ailments. Medicinally, they help coughs, colic, diarrhea, sore throats, asthma and flu. A pinch of cinnamon makes the tea more warming. The leaves are added to salves for skin conditions. The flowers are infused for fevers, eruptive skin conditions such as measles, and severe bronchial and lung problems. A classic flu remedy is a mixture of elderflower, yarrow, and peppermint teas. Keep the patient well covered, as the flowers promote sweating. Use two teaspoons of the herbs per cup of water, steep for twenty minutes, and take up to three cups a day. A distillation made from the flowers is a good skin cleanser, a cure for headaches and the common cold, and an excellent tonic for the blood. The bark of the smaller and newer twigs can be dried and administered as a laxative.
Magical Uses: Panpipes are made of elder stems. A dryad “elder Mother” is said to live in the tree; she will haunt anyone who cuts down her wood. Stand or sleep under an elder on Midsummer Eve to see the King of the Faeries and his retinue pass by. The flowers are used in wish-fulfillment spells. The leaves, flowers and berries are strewn on a person, place, or thing to bless it. An elder shoot when tied in three or four knots was carried as a charm of protection against rheumatism. Elder twigs, when tied into crosses with red yarn, were hung over the doors for protection. In
Folklore and Legends: Reverence for the Elder Mother challenged the early Christian church fathers and soon missionary priests redefined the tree goddess as a wicked witch more to be feared than adored. Folklore passed down reflects these ambivalent attitudes, for elder is more often considered evil than good. In
Goddesses: The elder is under the protection of the Old Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, who guards the door to the Underworld, to death, and to the dark inner mysteries. Elder is especially associated with goddesses of the waning moon. The Elder Mother, the crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, was believed to dwell within the tree. Scandinavian legends tell of the Elder Mother who watches for any injury to the tree. In Scandinavian and Danish mythology she is called Elle or Hyldemoer. The Germans knew her as Frau Ellen and to the English, she was Lady Ellhorn. She worked a strong earth magic by avenging all who harmed her host tree and punishing those who used any of its parts with selfish intent. In some regions, including
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