Illustration
Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
Also called red-berried elder, european red elder and scarlet-berried elder
Red Elderberry blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Red Elderberry
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 10 ft tall and 9 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (a house reading).
Is Red Elderberry toxic to dogs or cats?
- Listed as toxic to dogs and cats by Royal Horticultural Society.
- Listed as poisonous to people by Royal Horticultural Society.
Lists differ and none is complete. If a pet eats a plant and seems unwell, call a veterinarian or a pet poison helpline.
What was checked
Nine facts were checked against named botanical sources, each recorded beside the sources that carried it: mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, the trait tags, and years to mature size, which rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one and is marked so. Soil, diseases, pests, toxicity and the plant's own names have not yet been read for this plant, and its trait tags are the ones a feature uses rather than every word a page prints. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Red Elderberry
Plant Red Elderberry in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Red Elderberry get?
10 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult9 ftwideSee Red Elderberry in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Red Elderberry
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give Red Elderberry about 9 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add Red Elderberry to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Red Elderberry's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags were checked against 7 published sources on October 21, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.orgNative Plant Trust Garden Plant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- tnyards.utk.eduUniversity of Tennessee Smart Yardsheight, spread, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- plantasnativa.comPlantas nativa LLC, Bellingham, Washingtonheight, sun, water and bloom months and color
- uwgb.eduUniversity of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Shrubs of Wisconsinheight, bloom months and color and trait tags
- woodyplants.cals.cornell.eduCornell University Woody Plants Databaseheight, water and bloom months and color
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxsun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Where it grows wild
Native to 38 states and 11 provinces
United States: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and 26 more
Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon
Recorded growing wild in 712 counties.
Range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 4.0, adapted) and USDA PLANTS. How the native range is credited.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.