The berries make a purple to lavender dye. When grown near a compost heap, the root activity of this plant encourages fermentation in the compost heap. The stems can be easily hollowed out to be used as drains in tapping the sap from trees such as the Sugar Maples. The branches of the tree have hollow stems with easily removed pith, and are perfect for flutes or whistles. Game birds, squirrels and other rodents, and several kinds of browsers also feed on the fruit or foliage of elderberry.
Bears love to eat the elderberry fruits while deer, elk, and moose browse on the stems and foliage.
The elderberries are important sources of summer food for many kinds of songbirds. Decoction taken for summer complaint infusion of berry for rheumatism. Salve for burns and skin eruptions also, infusion taken as tonic for boils. Used as a diuretic, a cathartic, and an emetic, also taken for dropsy. Infusion of flowers taken to sweat out fever.