Elder: medicine cabinet of the hedgerows

Elder (Sambucus nigra) is treasure in the hedgerow. It’s said that you are lucky indeed if an elder choses to grow in your garden, especially if it is self-sown. 

An elder tree would often be included in the herb garden as it was believed to put the herbs under the protection of the ‘Elder Mother’ or ‘Spirit of the Elder’. It is traditional to show respect to an elder by tipping your hat as you pass by. 

Elder’s virtues

Elder has been used since Roman times and we can benefit from the leaves, flowers, fruit and bark. While the 17^thcentury herbalist Culpeper praises the many ways in which all these can be used, he says rather dismissively: ‘I know no wonders the root will do’.

Elder wood and bark is believed to be physically warmer than that of other trees because they bloom at the peak of the sun’s strength, at midsummer – however burning it is considered to ‘raise the devil’. The smaller branches of elder are hollow so new shoots were used to make tuneful pipes. The botanical name sambucus comes from the Greek ‘sambuke’, a musical pipe. Elderwood is also traditionally used for the perches in hen houses, so they benefit from the White Goddess’s benign fertility magic.

Country medicine cabinet

Elder has been termed ‘the medicine chest of the country people’. John Evelyn, a contemporary of Culpeper, wrote:

‘if the medicinal properties of its leaves, bark and berries were fully known, I cannot tell what our countryman could ail for which he might not fetch a remedy from every hedge, either for sickness, or wounds’.

While it’s the frothy white flowers with their heady scent that we may recognise most, by this time of the year, these have become luscious clusters of deep red berries. Keep an eye out for them on your walks. 

If you want some pointers on where to find elder locally, download the ‘elderflower walk’ from the ‘Discover Stroud’ app. It starts at Kingshill House in Dursley and takes you on a lovely two hour ramble around the fields of Upper and Lower Cam as well as through Holywell Orchard. 

Elderberry remedies

Elderberries reduce inflammation, so were often taken to ease wounds, sprains, bruises or old injured joints. As everyone over the age of forty will be suffering from inflammation in some form, and it’s a cause in so many of our major illnesses like strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, arthritis and headaches, a little daily dose of elderberry in some form can be very helpful. Elderberry can also lessen symptoms of allergies such as sneezing, itchiness and swelling. Always ask for elder’s help. 

There are lots of ways you can start the day with elderberries such as adding them to your porridge as a syrup, spreading them on toast in a jam, stirring them into yoghurt or blitzing into a purple smoothie. 

The classic elderberry medicine is elderberry rob, which can be eaten a teaspoonful at a time, or put in a mug with hot water for a comforting winter drink to stave off colds and aches. 

I reserve a small batch of elderberries from my garden to make Pontack Sauce, a variation on the traditional gentleman’s relish. In times of coaching houses and inns the wise traveller would always take their own signature sauce with them to make whatever food they were served up on the road palatable. Pontack Sauce is one such condiment, the recipe I use comes from Richard Mabey who advises it is best matured for seven years before it’s ready to use.

Bumper crop

As with all things in nature, there are ebbs and flows, and this year feels like a bumper year for elderberries. In my estimation they’re the best I’ve seen since the Olympic summer of 2008 which, incidentally, I remember as being pretty wet. 

If you are heading out to gather, here are a few tips for successful foraging: 

• Take a leak-proof bag with you. I find lining a cotton bag with a plastic bag works well (you can loop the handles of one through the other to keep them in place). Elderberries can be particularly squishy and their deep purple juice only takes a moment to stain. 
• I’ll always take multiple bags because you never know what else you’ll find. On my recent elderberry forage I also came home with cob nuts, marshmallow seeds and some early sloes. 
• You might also take a small knife or secateurs. While the clusters of berries can be snapped off with the help of a thumb nail, it’s less wearing to use an implement to help you. 
• You’ll often find elders surrounded by brambles or nettles so wear long-sleeved and long-legged clothing to minimise scratches and stings (along with your good footwear) but if in doubt, don’t over stretch, there will be other berries elsewhere. 
• Remember what’s said above about the ‘Spirit of the Elder’ and showing respect. As with all foraging, ask permission of the plant before taking. I like to let the plant know what it’s going to contribute to, and may also make an offering back to the plant. There’s a little video of my midsummer elder ritual here. 
• Adopt the no-harm harvesting principle of leaving more than you find and taking as little as you need. Don’t damage branches or other plants in your harvesting efforts. If it won’t come easily, it’s not meant for you. 
• Allow time when you get back to process your foraged finds. I estimate that it takes twice as long to ‘process’ as you spend foraging. It’s a labour of love. 
• The ‘processing’ that you’ll need to do with elderberries is traditionally called ‘stribbing’. It means taking all the tiny berries off their little stalks. I use my fingers (even though they get quite purple and it takes days to get my nails clean again), but you can use a fork if you prefer. 
• Elderberries aren’t something to eat straight off, but there are wonderful things you can make with them that will provide a healthy boost for you through the winter.