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Taxon  Report  
Sambucus mexicana  C. Presl ex DC.
Blue elderberry
Sambucus mexicana is a tree or shrub that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in North America and beyond.
also called Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
bloom graphic
Bloom Period
Genus: Sambucus
Family: Viburnaceae  
(Caprifoliaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Moderate (all but ripe berries)

Habitat: canyons

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, Southern Oak Woodland, Foothill Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF
Alternate Names:
JEFSambucus caerulea
JEFSambucus nigra ssp. caerulea
PLANTSSambucus nigra ssp. canadensis
Information about  Sambucus mexicana from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (SANIC4)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 06/06/2023).