More and more people are turning to native plants to play various roles in their garden. Attracting birds and other wildlife has become a highly desirable characteristic.
Berries provide an irresistible magnet to many birds.
Our red elderberry must be among the champion berry producers and it's exceptionally attractive too. The greyish pithy stems and twigs are marked by raised spots called lenticels. All parts of the plant produce a skunky smell, tolerable outside, but quite unpleasant indoors. Numerous creamy white flowers cluster in rounded to pyramid-shaped creamy white heads. Each tiny flower has a little green ovary crowned by 5 clear white petals.