I was asked what the elderflower looks like after the post about the elderflower cordial. Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a tree which grows in hedgerows, around waste ground, chald downs, woods. Sometimes or rather often it does not look like a tree rather a big woody bush crawling and forming the hedgerow. The small white flowers appear in large clusters in late spring – early summer. The elderberries appear in late summer and they are used to make rich wine, but be aware they are poisinous if eaten raw and unripe.
The trees like a somewahat rich soil but can be found on every type of soil except sand. 5-9 leaflets form a leaf of the elder. The tree branches are light and hollow when dried out, which is great for kids to use it as a blow shooter, and is thought to be used to blow into fire. The tree can be found all over the world in different subpecies or regional varieties.