The Elderberries and their relatives are not native to my region but can be cultivated.Thanks for reading Judson Carroll, Master Herbalist! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Dioscorides wrote of two members of this family, calling them Akte and Chamaiakte:
As my friend, Torey, just reminded me, Elder is a confusing name. Plants in different genus' and families all being referred to as Elder. At the beginning of the article, Dioscorides lists the name ground elder as one of the synonyms for dwarf elder. But a totally unrelated plant called ground elder, Ageopodium podagaria, which is in the Apiaceae family. Completely different plant with different uses. Later in the article, Mrs. Grieve discusses the folk names.
So the second one says “berries poisonous.” But decoction of the “fruit,” means berries, right?
As my friend, Torey, just reminded me, Elder is a confusing name. Plants in different genus' and families all being referred to as Elder. At the beginning of the article, Dioscorides lists the name ground elder as one of the synonyms for dwarf elder. But a totally unrelated plant called ground elder, Ageopodium podagaria, which is in the Apiaceae family. Completely different plant with different uses. Later in the article, Mrs. Grieve discusses the folk names.