🌿 Identification of Elderflower
- Botanical Name: Sambucus nigra (European elder)
- Family: Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae)
- Tree/Shrub:
- Height: 10–30 feet (3–9 meters)
- Leaves: Pinnately compound with 5–9 serrated leaflets
- Flowers: Creamy-white, flat-topped clusters (umbels) 5–10 inches wide, blooming in late spring to early summer
- Scent: Sweet, floral, slightly musky
- Berries: Small, dark purple-black, ripen later in the season (used separately from flowers)
⚠️ Lookalikes:
- Beware of poisonous lookalikes such as red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) and water hemlock—make sure you’re harvesting the right plant!
📜 Historical Uses of Elderflower
🏺 Ancient Europe
- Regarded as a sacred tree in Celtic and Germanic cultures.
- Elder was thought to ward off evil and was called the “tree of witches.”
- In Norse mythology, associated with Freyja, the goddess of love and beauty.
🧙 Medieval Herbalism
- Used for fevers, wounds, colds, and skin eruptions.
- Elderflower water was a common beauty tonic for brightening and softening the skin.
- Featured in folk charms, particularly in rural Europe, as protection against illness and lightning.
🏡 Folk Medicine
- “The medicine chest of the common people.” All parts (flowers, berries, bark) were used.
- Flowers were used in syrups, cordials, and infusions for colds, flu, and hay fever.
🧪 Medicinal Benefits of Elderflower (Modern Uses)
✅ 1. Respiratory Relief
- Elderflowers act as a diaphoretic—they promote sweating and help break fevers.
- Useful in treating cold, flu, sinus infections, and hay fever.
- Often used in combination with yarrow and peppermint for cold and flu blends.
✅ 2. Anti-Inflammatory & Antioxidant
- Contains flavonoids (like quercetin and rutin) that reduce inflammation and support immunity.
- Traditionally used to calm swollen sinuses and relieve arthritic pain.
✅ 3. Diuretic & Detoxifying
- Helps flush toxins through the urinary system and supports lymphatic drainage.
✅ 4. Skin Care
- Elderflower water or infusions are applied to acne, eczema, burns, and sunburn.
- Historically used in lotions and toners for whitening the skin and soothing irritations.
✅ 5. Digestive Support
- Mildly carminative and can help with gas, bloating, and indigestion, especially when caused by colds or stress.
Get some dried elderflower by Frontier Co-op from my Amazon Affiliate link to make your own herbal medicines.
🧉 How to Use Elderflower
🌿 Forms of Use
- Tea/Infusion: Dried or fresh elderflowers steeped in hot water.
- Tincture: Alcohol-based extract.
- Syrup: Combined with honey or sugar; excellent for colds and flu.
- Cordials: Sweet herbal drinks, often carbonated or diluted.
- Elderflower water: For skin care or mild perfumery.
- Culinary: Used in jams, champagne, sorbets, pancake batter, and desserts.
💊 Suggested Dosage (General Guidance)
- Tea: 1–2 tsp dried flowers per cup of water, steep 10–15 min. Up to 3x daily.
- Tincture: 2–4 ml up to 3x daily.
- Syrup: 1–2 tsp as needed for cold symptoms.
🧼 Elderflower Cold & Flu Tea Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp dried elderflower
- 1 tsp dried peppermint
- 1 tsp dried yarrow
Instructions:
Steep in 1 cup boiling water for 10–15 minutes. Drink warm 2–3 times daily at onset of cold or flu.
⚠️ Safety & Precautions
- Flowers are generally safe and well-tolerated.
- Only use flowers, not raw stems, leaves, or unripe berries—they contain cyanogenic glycosides (mildly toxic).
- Use caution if pregnant or nursing—consult an herbalist or physician.
- May interact with diuretics or diabetes medications—monitor usage accordingly.
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