Elderberry or elder is a shrubby plant and belongs to the muskweed family. There are 40 known species worldwide, three of which are native to Central Europe.
Occurrence and cultivation of elderberry
Among the Germanic tribes, the elderberry was associated in legends and myths with the underworld goddess Frau Holle.
Among them, black elderberry is the most widespread, it is one of the most common shrub species in the European flora and grows up to 11 m high.
Elderberry forms filamentous leaves in spring and umbrella-shaped panicle-like flowers from mid-May to early July, which are whitish to pale yellow in color and exude a fresh fruity and delicately sweet honey scent. The fruits of the elderberry are berry-like, but belong to the drupe family. When ripe in late summer, they turn black, blue or red.
Folk names for the elder are also Hollerbusch or Holderstrauch. In Germanic legends and myths, the elderberry was associated with the underworld goddess Frau Holle. Presumably, the shrub was already known as a food-giving plant in the Stone Age.
Effect and application
Elderberry contains in the bark, in the unripe berries and in the seeds of the ripe berries the active substance sambunigrin, which is known as a plant poison and which loses its toxicity by heating. The fruits are rich in vitamins B1 and C. Elderberry contains fruit acids and essential oils, anthocyanin and flavoids. Antioxidants contained in anthocyanin are analgesic, therefore active substances from elderberry help to reduce fever and inhibit inflammation.
Also the aging process of cells, both in the plant itself and in the human body, is said to be slowed down by the anthocyanin contained in elderberry. The flowers are used dried for teas, in drugstores and pharmacies can buy this substance from elderberry as flores sambuci. From the seeds is produced elderberry oil, which is used as a raw material for cosmetics and medicinal drugs.
The violet dye sambocyanin is mainly found in the berry skins in black elderberry and was once considered an important substance for dyeing. In the past, it was used to treat hair, to give leather a typical color, and to give red wine its deep red color. As a natural dye, the active ingredient from the berries of the elderberry is found in various foods. Sweets and fruit yogurt receive appetizing colorings, even textiles are treated in the meantime again with this old plant color.
Lemonade and sparkling wine made from elderberry are very popular and provide the typical fruity sweetness that the elderberry also exudes with its flowers. Jelly, mush or juice from the berries should always be cooked long enough, however, as they are weakly poisonous in their raw state.
Importance for health
Elderberry is considered an ancient medicinal plant in home medicine. Due to its high vitamin C content, it is recommended for colds. It is also said to have a healing effect against flu viruses, and the essential oils in the active ingredients from elderberry cause mucus in the respiratory organs to loosen.
Its diaphoretic and anti-inflammatory effects have been known for centuries, and pain-relieving properties are also attributed to elderberry. Another effect attributed to the berries and tea from the flowers is the effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Tea made from the dried flowers is said to help with stomach problems, and elderberry ind ies also have a mild laxative effect.
Elderberry is also said to relieve rheumatism and gout. A tea can also help to effectively treat sciatica and neuralgia. For skin diseases, the external application of a decoction is recommended. It is even said to have a preventive effect against cancer, and elderberry is also recommended in folk medicine as a preventive measure against heart attacks.
