VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens | Red Elderberry 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Many wildlife species use elderberries for food [61,89,91].
Elderberries provide valuable nesting and perching habitat, and their
fruit provides food for many species of birds including bluebirds,
magpies, woodpeckers, grosbeaks, veeries, warbling vireo, red-eyed
vireo, scarlet tanager, western tanager, house finch, green-tailed
towhee, Townsend solitaire, American crow, grouse, quail, pheasant, and
hummingbirds who visit flowers for nectar [19,34,38,61,99,112].
Elderberries also provide food for mammals such as rabbits, squirrels,
foxes, woodchucks, chipmunks, ground squirrels, woodrats, and mice [61].
One study showed that bird use of S. racemosa ssp. pubens is primarily
determined by fruit crop size of individual shrubs, and use increases
with larger crop size [19].  Use may vary by variety.

    Elk in Idaho prefer var. melanocarpa and utilize it from June
    through September, usually stripping all of its leaves.
    Heaviest utilization is in the fall [120].  It is considered an
    "ice cream" plant rather than a "key" species because it does not
    occur in sufficient abundance to be part of the carrying capacity 
    of the range [29,120].  An Arizona study found that Kaibab mule deer
    use var. melanocarpa, but it is not a major part of their diet [44].
    In northwestern Montana, grizzly bears use berry-producing shrubs,
    including S. racemosa ssp. pubens var. melanocarpa, for summer food,
    but it is not generally considered a key bear food [121].

    When fed to captive mule deer in Utah, var. microbotrys was used
    only in late June and August and was considerably less important
    as browse than S. cerulea [93].  It is, however, sometimes
    extensively browsed during the summer [17].  Sheep in Utah use
    80 to 90 percent of the leaves in late August and early September,
    while cattle use 40 to 70 percent of the leaves plus some stem
    tissue. During the winter porcupines and mice eat the buds
    and bark [12].

    In the Lake States var. leucocarpa is usually heavily browsed
    by deer and moose [3,112].


PALATABILITY : 
The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for Sambucus
racemosa ssp. pubens in several western states is rated as follows
[20,93,101]:

                   ID           UT         WY           CA
Cattle          mod-good       good       ----         fair
Sheep           mod-good       good       ----       fair-good
Horses            ----         fair       ----         fair
Goats             ----         ----       ----         good
Pronghorn         ----         poor       poor         ----
Elk               good         poor       fair         ----
Mule deer         ----         fair       good         ----
White-tailed                                        
deer              ----         ----       good         ----
                   ID           UT         WY           CA
Deer            very poor      ----       ----      excel-good
Small mammals     ----         good       good         ----
Small nongame                          
birds             ----         good       good         ----
Upland game                                      
birds             ----         good       good         ----
Waterfowl         ----         poor       poor         ----
Black bear      mod-poor       ----       ----         ----

The palatability of S. racemosa ssp. pubens appears to vary by variety.

    Var. melanocarpa is one of the most palatable browse species for
    elk in Idaho and Montana [29,120].  During the summer palatability
    varies by area for livestock.  It can be fair to very good for
    sheep and poor for cattle in one area, and worthless in other areas.
    After frost the palatability is excellent for goats, good to
    excellent for sheep, and fairly good to good for cattle [17].

    In California the palatability of var. callicarpa is rated as good
    to fair for sheep, goats, and deer; fair to poor for cattle; and poor
    for horses [93].  In the fall it is good for sheep and fairly good
    for cattle [17].

    Var. microbotrys is most palatable in the late summer and fall [3].

    Var. leucocarpa is not palatable until July and then increases in
    palatability until, by September, it is excellent for sheep and
    fairly good for cattle in Washington [5].  A Wisconsin study
    found that fruit sugar content varies between bushes, and birds
    prefer higher sugar content [7].
    


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
The energy value of S. racemosa ssp. pubens is rated as fair and its
protein value is rated as poor [20].  The fruit is high in ascorbic acid
[89].


COVER VALUE : 
The degree to which Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens provides environmental
protection during one or more seasons for wildlife species is as follows
[20]:
                              UT          WY
Pronghorn                    poor        poor
Elk                          poor        fair
Mule deer                    fair        good
White-tailed deer            ----        good
Small mammals                good        good
Small nongame birds          good        good
Upland game birds            good        good
Waterfowl                    poor        poor


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
S. racemosa ssp. pubens can be useful in stabilizing soil and
controlling erosion on moist sites [80,118].  Its growth on moderate and
gentle slopes is good, and its growth on steep slopes is fair.  In Utah
its potential biomass production, erosion control, and long-term
revegetation potential is rated as medium.  Its establishment
requirements are low, but it has poor short-term revegetation potential
[20].  Nursery seedlings and container grown stock of var. microbotrys
are recommended for planting on disturbed riparian areas in the aspen
and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) zones of the western United States.
It establishes slowly, but grows well on moist sites, occasional seeps,
and streambanks [80].  

Best establishment of S. racemosa ssp. pubens in Utah has been obtained
by direct seeding [82], but establishment can be erratic [83].  This
plant can be propagated by cuttings, either using hardwood cuttings
started in the winter or softwood cuttings during the spring or summer
[21,89,118].  Cuttings of rhizomes with stems can also be transplanted
[12].

S. racemosa ssp. pubens is adapted for use in the forested, northern
desert shrub, pinyon-juniper (Pinus edulis-Juniperus spp.), and mountain
brush zones of Nevada [100].  Var. microbotrys is useful in the
Southwest for rehabilitation in the subalpine zone, in aspen
communities, and in mountain brush communities.  Its rankings for
characteristics that are useful on disturbed areas are as follows [81]:

    Establishment by seed              Medium
    Establishment by transplants       Medium
    Seed production and handling       Very Good
    Natural spread by seed             Poor
    Natural vegetative spread          Very Good
    Growth rate                        Very good
    Soil stability                     Very good
    Adaptation to disturbance          Medium


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Elderberries are good ornamentals and their colorful fruit attracts
birds [49,89].  Var. microbotrys may become a sprawling shrub with a
longer growing season and plenty of water [49].  The fruit of var.
melanocarpa was dried by the Indians and may be used for jelly or wine.
Fruit of the other varieties, however, is not palatable to humans and
may be slightly poisonous, although it is harmless when cooked [49,51].
S.  racemosa ssp. pubens contains a cyanogenetic glycoside and an
alkaloid that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal
pain [51,103].  The berries contain very little of these substances, the
stems contain moderate amounts, and the roots contain enough to cause
death to hogs.  Medical uses have been made of all parts [89].  Dyes can
be made from the bark, fruit, and stems, and an insecticide from the
dried leaves [84,89].  The name Sambucus is derived from the Greek
sambuca which was a stringed instrument supposed to have been made from
elder wood.  The hollow stems have been fashioned into flutes and
blowguns.  The wood is hard and has been used for combs, spindles, and
pegs [70].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Browsing:  In the Lake States S. racemosa ssp. pubens responds somewhat
erratically to heavy clipping, but can withstand moderate use [3].  In a
Utah study of var. microbotrys, severe clipping in the fall did not
cause significant changes in either the number or length of rhizome
stems, or in the weight of stems and leaves [12].

Competition:  In moist forests of the Pacific Northwest S. racemosa ssp.
pubens is a component of the seral shrub field complex that can inhibit
tree regeneration following fire, although it is rarely a primary
competitor [16,22,35,71,92].  On dry sites in Utah conifer regeneration
is limited to shrub communities, including S. racemosa ssp. pubens, that
form a fringe around Engelman spruce-subalpine fir (Picea engelmanni
-Abies lasiocarpa) associations [23].

S. racemosa ssp. pubens may have some allelopathic potential.  A
laboratory study in western Washington found that leaf and litter
extracts inhibited germination and growth of three other species,
including Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), although there was little
interference in the field [18].  A second study in Utah using leaf and
stem extracts of var. microbotrys found weak inhibition of grass amd
forb germination in the laboratory, but the tests indicated that the
inhibition was not strong enough to be effective in the field [64].

Herbicide treatment:  Several herbicides are effective against S.
racemosa ssp. pubens including 2,4,-D, Roundup, Garlon 4, Tordon, and
Picloram [11,65].

Related categories for Species: Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens | Red Elderberry