Elder or Dwarf elder: how to tell them apart?
Elder and Dwarf elder look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Elder
Sambucus nigra
Dwarf elder
Sambucus ebulus
Dwarf elder is a non-woody herbaceous plant that dies back every winter, with a foul smell and toxic fruits borne in upright clusters, whereas elder is a perennial shrub with fruits that are edible once cooked, borne in drooping umbels.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, 5 to 7 toothed leaflets, distinctive smell when crushed
Large, pinnate compound, bright green, strong smell when crushed
🌸 Flowers
Large flat cream-white corymbs, very fragrant
Large flat corymbs of small white flowers with a pinkish centre
🍎 Fruits
Small glossy black berries in drooping clusters
Clusters of toxic black berries
🪵 Bark
Grey, corky, deeply fissured
Upright herbaceous stems, dying back in winter unlike a true shrub
📏 Size
2 to 6 m tall
1 to 2 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Hedges, waste ground, rubble, nitrogen-rich soils
Banks, waste ground, waysides, rich soils
⚠️ Toxicity
Raw berries, bark, leaves and seeds toxic if eaten (digestive upset); the flowers and cooked berries are traditionally eaten as syrup and jam.
Toxic, especially the berries, roots and raw leaves (cyanogenic glycosides); causes severe digestive upset if eaten.
🔎 And from the Dwarf elder side
Dwarf elder is a non-woody herbaceous plant that dies back every winter, with a foul smell and toxic fruits borne in upright clusters, whereas elder is a perennial shrub with fruits that are edible once cooked, borne in drooping umbels.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.