John Myers
Not only elderberries can be used in the kitchen, you can also process the elderflowers into syrup or jelly. Anyone who goes collecting elderflowers for the first time should first familiarize themselves with the plant: the risk of confusion with the poisonous spotted hemlock or the dwarf elder should not be underestimated.
At first glance, the white flower spikes of the edible black elder and the white-flowered spotted hemlock look relatively similar. However, the elder grows in the form of large shrubs or small trees that can reach eleven meters in height. The hemlock, on the other hand, is a herbaceous rather bare plant that only grows about two meters high. In addition, hemlock and elderflowers are distinguished by the unpleasant smell of mouse urine that the hemlock emits. Elderflowers, on the other hand, smell very pleasant. Although the poison of the spotted hemlock is mainly concentrated in its unripe fruits, it can be deadly even for adults from a dose of 0.5 grams. Therefore, especially when collecting with children, pay attention to which flowers they pick.
In contrast to the black elder, the dwarf elder is inedible to poisonous. Here, too, the poison is mainly found in the fruit. It causes vomiting and gastrointestinal problems and can even be fatal in rare cases. It differs from the edible plant in its individual leaves. These have an elongated lanceolate shape, while the pinnate leaves of black elders are elliptical and serrated at the edge.
If you want to collect elderflowers, you should choose a dry day between the beginning of June and the end of July. It is important to really only pick the white flowers – as the green leaves and stems are incompatible and can lead to gastrointestinal problems. It is advisable to pick elderflowers from the garden or the forest away from busy roads to minimize pollution. And if you are out and about in the forest anyway, just collect what you like – and then let us inspire you to do handicrafts with natural materials!
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