Sambucus javanica Seeds | Chinese Elder
LATIN NAME: Sambucus javanica
COMMON NAME: Chinese Elder
Plant Profile
Chinese elder is a deciduous shrub of the moschatel family, native to eastern and southeastern Asia, from China and Japan through Southeast Asia to Indonesia. It grows two to three metres tall, with pinnate leaves, soft, pithy stems and flat heads of small creamy-white flowers in summer.
The berries that follow are red, turning dark as they ripen, and they are taken by birds within a few weeks. The shrub suckers from the base and spreads into thickets, which is why it is often found in disturbed, damp ground beside streams and tracks. The stems are hollow and easy to break, and the pith is white and spongy.
Science & Biotechnology
The species is one of a group of Asian elders that have been separated and recombined by taxonomists, and its relationship to the European Sambucus nigra is still argued. Research has looked at its lectins and at the cyanogenic compounds in its leaves and unripe fruit, which are the reason elder berries must be cooked.
Studies in Taiwan and southern China have examined its role in forest regrowth after disturbance, where it appears in the first years and then fades as trees close over. Its seed bank has been studied because the seed remains viable in soil for years and germinates when the ground is opened.
Uses & Benefits
In its native range the young shoots are cooked, the flowers are used in infusions, and the berries are made into jam after cooking. The plant has a place in local medicine, where the leaves and bark are applied externally.
In the garden it is grown as a wildlife shrub, since the flowers feed insects and the berries feed birds. It is also useful in a damp corner or a wild hedge, where its fast growth and its flat flower heads give quick cover.
The pith of the stems is easily removed, and in parts of Asia the hollow stems are used as tubes and for making simple flutes. The plant’s tolerance of wet soil makes it a candidate for the edge of a pond or a soakaway, where other shrubs would rot.
Growing from Seed
Sow in autumn and stratify for three months, or sow fresh and leave the pots outside. Germination is often in the second spring. Plant out in sun or part shade in moist soil, and cut back old stems in late winter to encourage new growth and better flowering.
The shrub suckers, so give it room or plant it where spreading is an advantage. It can be cut to the ground every few years to keep it compact, and it will regrow from the base within a season. In a wet garden it can be planted at the edge of a ditch, where its roots will find water, and it will seed itself along the bank.
Our Take
An elder for warmer gardens, grown more for its wildlife value than for its flowers. It is easy, fast and forgiving, and it feeds a great deal of life.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Chinese Elder often pair it with these related subjects: