Chinese black elder
Sambucus williamsii
Family: Adoxaceae
What it is like
A shrub. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows 3-6 m high. The branches have lines along them and they have a yellow pith. The leaves are opposite and compound. They have leaflets along the stalk. There are 5-7 leaflets and these are broadly oval and 5-12 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. There are coarse teeth along the edge. The flowers are white but turn pale yellow. They occur as a group at the ends of branches. The fruit is like a berry and blue-purple. It is juicy and 4-5 mm across.
There are about 25 Sambucus species. Also put in the family Sambucaceae.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows between 500-1,600 m above sea level in China. It grows in northern China. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Korea
How it is used for food
The young leaves are gathered and boiled then washed and seasoned and eaten as a vegetable.
Edible parts
Leaves
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Jiegumu, Shuhuacai