14/08/2026
💜 In spring, elderberry bushes are easy to fall in love with: huge clusters of tiny white flowers covering the branches.
But come August, the same plant looks completely different.
Those flowers have turned into small clusters of deep purple-black berries, packed with natural pigments and ready to catch your attention. ✨
Sambucus nigra is a common shrub across much of Europe. You can find it along woodland edges, hedgerows, paths and clearings, where it has been part of traditional foodways and plant knowledge for generations.
Its ripe berries contain anthocyanins and other polyphenols, which contribute to their intense colour. But there is an important safety point: the berries should not be eaten raw and need to be properly cooked before being used in food.
One of my favourite late-summer traditions is gathering ripe elderberries and turning them into compotes, jams and syrups — little jars of summer to enjoy when the colder months arrive. 🫐
And perhaps this is what I love most about foraging.
It isn’t simply about bringing wild food home.
It’s about learning to observe.
Knowing when a plant flowers, when its fruit ripens, how to identify it correctly and how to use it safely.
It’s a way of reconnecting with the rhythms of nature and with botanical knowledge that has been passed down through generations. 🌿
Did you know elderberry from its flowers, or have you seen the berries too?
