Foraging Elderflower

Learn how to identify elderflower and forage for this beautiful edible flower, plus ideas on how to use this fragrant and medicinal early summer blossom!

Elderberries are well known for their immune-boosting properties, but earlier in the season, these wild plants give another gift: Elderflowers!

These prolific sprays of white blossoms are also edible and medicinal, and they’re incredibly delicious.

Are Elderflowers Edible?

Elderflowers are edible, as are the berries that follow them. While the berries must be cooked for safe use, you can use the flowers after cooking, fermenting, or infusing. Generally, people don’t eat them fresh.

All other parts of the plant, including the leaves, stems, bark, and seeds, are toxic. The plant contains a cyanogen called glycoside, which can affect your heart rate. 

Avoid harvesting elderflowers along busy roadsides or polluted waterways where chemicals or exhaust may contaminate the flowers.

Elderflower Medicinal Benefits

Elderberries are one of the more widely known herbal remedies. These days, you can even find them in commercial cold and flu treatments. However, their counterpart, elderflowers, are largely underused in modern contexts, though they also have some excellent medicinal properties. 

Like the berries, elderflowers have a long history of medicinal use. The flowers likely came into use around the same time as the berries, at least 5000 years ago, in ancient Egypt.

In traditional Chinese medicine, elderflowers were soaked in wine and taken to treat rheumatism. Elderflower cordials and syrups have been popular in Britain since at least the Tudor period. Historic herbalists worldwide also used the flowers to treat laryngitis, flu, colds, coughs, allergies, sore throats, and fevers. 

Like elderberries, elderflowers are also “rich in flavonoids, anthocyanins, polyphenols, pectic polysaccharides, and lectins.” These compounds likely make elderflower a practical option for lessening cold and flu symptoms. However, the scientific focus has always been on the berries for treating colds and flu, and further study on elderflowers is needed.

Many modern herbalists also use elderflowers for their anti-inflammatory properties. A 2006 study found that elderflower’s anti-inflammatory properties can help treat gum disease. 

Elderflowers may also have antibacterial properties. A 2010 study from the Journal of Medicinal Plants found that elderflower extract effectively inhibited both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus and Salmonella. 

These anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties may also play a role in treating allergies and other nasal conditions. One study found that combined with four other herbs, elderflower had antiviral, secretolytic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects that helped treat rhinosinusitis, an infection or irritation of the sinus lining, in adults and children.

Some of elderflower’s properties have made it a promising choice for skin irritations and other cosmetic applications. A 2021 study found that elderflower extract made with fresh flowers had high collagenase inhibition and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. These results indicated it may be a good choice for replacing hyaluronic acid in some skin care products.

When to Find Elderflower

Elder is a flower of late spring. Right now in my region of California, late May and early June, is the time for forage for elderflower.

The season for you might be much later, depending on when spring comes to your region. Berries will also vary depending on your climate, following about 2-3 months after the elderflowers bloom.

Where to Find Elderflower

There are varieties of elder that are native to almost all of North America and Europe. They grow in many different environments, from sides of the freeway to suburban backyards to remote woodland edges, and can be found in full sun to part shade. I most commonly find elder growing near, but not in, rivers and creeks.

The variety in my area is blue elderberry, sometimes known as Sambucus nigra sp. caerulea, sometimes Sambucus neomexicana. All varieties of blue and black elder have edible flowers and berries, but avoid varieties of red elderberries, which are toxic.

How to Identify Elderflower

Elderberry is deciduous, and can be a small tree with a single trunk but is more often a multi-trunked shrub. Elders commonly grow by suckers, so they are often found in clumps, especially if growing in the shade. The stems are hollow when cut and filled with a pith inside.

You’ll want to use the leaves to ensure you have the right plant. The variety in my area has green leaves, which are compound, comprising of 5- 9 leaflets that are gently serrated. Some varieties, such as the ornamental S. nigra cultivars, have black and lacy leaves.

Elders produce a flower head that is a large cluster of smaller clusters of tiny, star-shaped flowers. Some clusters can be as large as dinner plates, some are the size of your hand. The flowers heads turn towards the sun, then slowly turn over to face the earth as the berries start to develop and turn heavy with juice and seeds.

How to Harvest elderflower

Choose blooms that have just started to open, and look for creamy white flowers, with soft yellow pollen. Avoid clusters that have started to dry out and fade to brown or dark yellow or are looking crispy. You also want to avoid those that have started to develop into the tiny green berries.

Insects also love elderflowers, so you might encounter some on your flowers. Do a quick check before cutting, and give each flowerhead a shake before adding to your basket.

Simply use snips or pruners to make a clean cut at the main stem holding the cluster of smaller flower heads. Remember, the leaves and stems are poisonous, so there is no need to bring home more plant than needed.

Elderflowers fade fast, so plan on drying or using soon after harvest. Harvest your elderflowers after any dew has dried, but go in the morning. Especially when it’s 100 degrees.

It just makes life more pleasant. Watch out for stinging nettles if in a shady area or rattlesnakes if in a hot and grassy area, as both tend to live in the same environment as elders.

Ways to Use Elderflowers

It’s best to pick freshly opened elderflowers that are cream or white. Avoid those that have begun to dry or brown. Harvest them with scissors or snips and give them a gentle shake to dislodge any insects. Avoid taking all the flowers; they’re an important plant for pollinators. 

One of the most common ways to use elderflowers is for simple, tasty fritters. Dip them in a flour batter of your choice, fry them until golden brown, and give them a light dusting of powdered sugar.

You can also infuse sugar, honey, simple syrup, or vinegar with elderflowers. These infusions are easy to add to other recipes. 

Like the berries, elderflowers, or their infused products make delicious additions to many desserts, especially when paired with other fruit. Try adding elderflower to cakes, trifles, crisps, jams, and tarts. You can use elderflower in ice cream, sorbet, or popsicles for summer treats.

Elderflowers also make excellent wildcrafted beverages. You can create your own wildflower cordials, champagne, or liqueur. They also make beautiful and tasty additions to cocktails.

If you are more interested in elderflower’s medicinal benefits than their flavor, there are a few other simple ways to use them. You can use elderflowers in healing herbal teas alone or with other soothing herbs like chamomile and yarrow. You can also preserve the flowers in an easy-to-use tincture.

Elderflowers may also have excellent anti-inflammatory properties for treating skin issues. These properties and its pleasant fragrance make elderflower a good choice for homemade lotions, salves, and soaps. They’re also ideal for summertime herbal soaks or baths.

Elderflower Recipes

Elderflowers can be dipped in batter, fried and eaten as fritters. Local forager and outdoorsman Hank Shaw recommends making an elderflower beignet (fritters).

I like to dry some of my harvest for my home apothecary. Medicinally, elderflowers are used herbally to induce sweating and lower fevers. Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar recommends making a strong brew of dried elderflower, peppermint, and yarrow to drink as a tea for a cold care remedy.

Or, one of the most popular ways to enjoy the delicate flavor of elderflower is to make a fragrant elderflower cordial.

Here are a few more creative ways to use elderflowers:

• This Rhubarb and elderflower cake from BBC Good Food would be the ultimate cake for a summer picnic!
• To treat colds and flu easily, try our elderflower tincture recipe.
• Make a sweet, simple elderflower syrup for flavoring your favorite drinks and desserts with this recipe from The Busy Baker.
• For a tasty snack everyone will love, try this recipe for Peter’s Strawberry & Elderflower Babas from The Great British Bake Off.
• If sweets aren’t your thing, try this elderflower vinaigrette from The Spruce Eats.
• Seasonal allergies are challenging, especially for children. Try these Elderflower Popsicles for Children’s Seasonal Allergies from Learning Herbs.
• For a tasty herbal sweet, try these Elderflower Herbal Marshmallows from Nitty Gritty Life.
• Add a little intrigue to your preserves with this Elderflower Strawberry Jam.
• Beat the summer heat with these Elderflower Strawberry Popsicles from Adamant Kitchen.