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| Types of Elder | ||
|---|---|---|
| Common Name | (Scientific Name) | Notes |
| Black Elder | (Sambucus Nigra) | Purple Fruit, white flowers. Most common type/most widely used. |
| American Elder | (Sambucus canadensis L) | a.k.a. elderberry |
| Scarlet Elder | (Sambucus pubens) | Red Fruit, white flowers |
| Dwarf Elder | (Sambucus ebulus) | Poisonous |
Widely used for wands. Dried fruit and leaves are used for protection, or burned for cleansing.
"Elder: (Sambucus canadensis) (Ruis) Associated with the planet Venus and the element Air. Sacred to Dana. Branches are used as wands and staves. Stand beneath the elder to be protected from lightning, sleeping under the elder will bring drugged and dangerous dreams of Tir na nOg, from which one might awaken either mad, or not at all. In the Middle Ages it was considered unlucky to burn Elder or to bring it into the house. It was only considered safe to cut the Elder if one had first asked permission, in which case the tree dryad would consent by keeping silence. Elder leaves gathered at Beltane Eve and attached to the door are said to keep away evil. Linked to the eternal turnings of life and death, birth, and rebirth. It represents the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end; life in death and death in life. It is also significant in creativity and renewal...new beginnings. From The Magick Pages - Herbal Grimoire."
The German Commission E, considered an authoritative source of information on alternative remedies, determined that elder has the ability to increase bronchial secretions as well as perspiration. These properties can be useful in helping to alleviate symptoms of the common cold or the flu. Even more interesting is the possibility that elder, like another herbal remedy called echinacea, may have the power to shorten the duration of colds by up to a few days. While it is not known exactly how elder produces its therapeutic effects, study has focused on several naturally occurring chemicals in the plant. Elder's flavonoids and phenolic acids are thought to be responsible for its ability to increase perspiration. The triterpenes in elder may also be potential "active ingredients," though more study is required to confirm this. The remaining chemical constituents of medicinal elder usually include potassium and other minerals; sterols; volatile oils containing linoleic, linolenic, and palmitic acid; mucilage; pectin; protein; sugar; and tannins.
A number of other properties have been ascribed to elder as well, including anti- inflammatory, diuretic, antiviral, and antispasmodic activities. A 1997 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, which studied black elder in the test tube, indicates that the herb has some activity as an anti-inflammatory. While this may help to partially explain elder's success in treating colds, it also suggests that the herb may have potential as a treatment for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatism. Elder has also been described in the history of folk medicine as a laxative and a sedative.
In a study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in 1995, use of a standardized elderberry extract shortened the duration of the flu by about three days. The placebo-controlled, double- blind study involved the residents of an Israeli kibbutz. "A significant improvement of the symptoms, including fever, was seen in 93.3% of the cases in the SAM-treated group [elder-treated group] within 2 days," the researchers reported, "whereas in the control group 91.7 of the patients showed an improvement within 6 days." About 90% of the people treated with elder were considered flu-free in two to three days, while the majority of patients in the placebo group only got well after about 6 days. The authors of the study recommended elder as a possible treatment for influenza A and B based on the herbal remedy's effectiveness, lack of side effects, and low cost. By way of comparison, over-the-counter synthetic drugs may offer some measure of symptomatic relief for a cold but have not been proven to actually speed recovery. Elder is also being investigated as a treatment for other viral infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes.
Throughout its long history, elder has been used to treat a variety of other diseases and medical problems. These include liver disease, kidney disorders, rheumatism, insomnia, toothaches, measles, asthma, cancer, chafing, epilepsy, gout, headaches, neuralgia, psoriasis, syphilis, and laryngitis. It has also been used topically as an herbal pad to reduce external swelling and heal wounds. Some women have used elder to increase the amount of milk produced during breastfeeding. However, as of early 2000, sufficient scientific evidence to support these additional uses is lacking. While elder has been used as a folk remedy for treating diabetes, studies in rodents suggest that it has no effects on blood sugar regulation.
Be careful not to confuse black elder with a more toxic species of the plant called dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus). Dwarf elder is generally not recommended for medical purposes and may cause vomiting and diarrhea in large dosages.