Elder Berry
Folk names: Alhuren, Battree, Black Elder, Boure tree, Bour tree, Eldrum, Ellhorn, European Elder, Faru Holle, Hildenmoer, Hollunder, Hylder, Lady Ellhorn , Old Gal, Old Lady, Pipe tree, Rob Elder, Sureau, Sweet Elder, Tree of Doom ,Yakori bengeskro
| Family | Caprifoliaceae |
|---|---|
| Genus | Sambucus |
| Species | nigra |
| Part(s) used | Flowers, berries, leaf |
Berries- Alterative, Anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxative. Flowers- Anti - Catarrhal, diaphoretic, pectoral (what these mean)
Uses
Used in an old folk remedy with peppermint and yarrow for colds and flu. In Ayurveda it is said to reduce Pitta and Kapha and Balance Vatta.
Majikal uses
The Element is water. Elder is worn to ward of attackers. Hund over the door of a houshold it keeps out negative energies.Grown in the garden it protects the household from sorcery and shields it from lightning. It was also used for blessings and the twigs were chewed on to alleviate toothache. The wood was used to make magic wands but it was forbidden to burn elder wood.
Constituents
Flowers - Mucilage, Triterpenes ( ursolic acid, 30-beta-hydroxyursolic acid, oleanolic acid) Fixed oil ( mainly linoleic, linolenic,palmitic) Flavonoids including rutin, quercetin, nictoflorin, hyperoside, kaempferol, Phenolic Acids, the hydrocyanic glycoside sambunigrine, tannins, essential oil,phenolic acid, pectin, sugars, sterols. Leaves - Triterpenes similar to thoses found in the flowers, cyanogenetic glycosides( sambunigrin, holocalin, prunasin) cyanohydrins. Berries - Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, Vitamins A , C and P,In vert sugar, fruit acid, anthrocyanic pigments tannins.