Elderberries are native to Europe, Asia, and North America, and are widely distributed in temperate and semitropical regions because they tolerate a wide range of growing conditions. Some species have been refined through breeding and are now cultivated in gardens, where they are planted in large groups or colonies.
Elderberries have large leaves that grow in pairs along the stem.
The leaves are pinnately compound, which means each leaf is made up of several leaflets that attach in pairs to a central leaf stem, with a single leaflet at the end. The leaflets are oblong to elliptical and have a toothed edge. The berrylike fruit, which grows in attractive clusters, may be red, black, blue, or occasionally white or yellow. Some species also reproduce by producing modified stems, called stolons or runners, that crawl along the ground, take root, and form new plants. Elderberries with stolons often grow in colonies.