Bloomipedia
Blue elder (Sambucus cerulea)
Photo: Daughter Dad via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Blue elder

Sambucus cerulea

Native in the lower 48

Blue elder is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.

12states
3of our state lists
30,147U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California, Idaho, Utah

Quick look

Sambucus cerulea or Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea, with the common names blue elderberry and blue elder, is a coarse textured shrub species of elder in the family Viburnaceae.

  • It belongs to the Viburnaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 12 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California, Utah and Idaho. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–July. iNaturalist
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 23 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 25,253 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #16 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 819 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #73 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 504 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #66 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. iNaturalist

Blue elder gift ideas

Handmade blue elder gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,729 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
CaliforniaNativeMarch–July25,253
UtahNativeJune–September819
IdahoNativeMay–August504

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
T5 See NatureServe for what T5 means. NatureServe
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: TX (S1), WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleToxic (moderate, per USDA)

USDA PLANTS rates its toxicity as “moderate.” (USDA's rating covers people and livestock and doesn't say which parts.) NC State Extension has no page for it. USDA PLANTS

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records blue elder in 12 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

California counties with USDA records: Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Inyo, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Mono, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, San Bernardino, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity, Ventura.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Bonner, Bonneville, Boundary, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Cassia, Clearwater, Elmore, Franklin, Gem, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Power, Shoshone, Valley, Washington.

More California flowers

Red-berried elder (Sambucus racemosa)

Red-berried elder

Sambucus racemosa

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–July
California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

California buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–December

Sources