Elderberry in my back yard!!

Common Elderberry in Flower with Immature Berries
 http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Elderberry.html

I am fascinated with wild edibles.  I am working on one day being able to forage with out fear.  Right now there is lots of fear of poisonous look alikes.  Today I think I had a break through! I am 98% percent sure I have an elderberry bush growing in the woods behind my house!!  Serously it was like finding gold in my backyard!! 

What did we do before technology?  Seriously? Thank god I had my phone with me this afternoon when the kids and I went for a trek through the woods.  We were just wondering around looking at bees's nest and hunting frogs when we came upon a patch of wild flowers.  Wild flowers that I'm convinced is golden seal, but that's another post.  I broke out my phone and started looking through wild medicinal herbs when this picture came up.  

 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elderberries2007-08-12.JPG)  

Wait!! What the hell I just saw that!!  Kid's come back this way!!!  So we walk back over to the spot where I had seen the bush,  thinking nothing more of it then bird berries.  OH WOW!!  I think that really is Elderberry!!  But then the rational brain kicks in, waaaiiiit what if that is not elderberry? What if its a look alike?  What else looks like elderberry?  Why is there and elderberry bush in my back yard?  etc.  etc.

So I took lots of pictures.

Tonight I have been scouring the internet looking for plant look alikes.  The most common I have found:

Poison Hemlock:

(http://www.mdinvasivesp.org/images/conium_flwrs_klk.jpg)

 Which is really only confused with elderberry in the flowering stage

Flowering Elderberry:

(http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Elderberry.html)

Another common plant that is mistaken for elderberry 

Poke Berry:

(http://steveweems.com/blog/index.php?title=poke_berries&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1)

Notice the grape like cluster of the Pokeberry.  Compared to the umbrella clusters that the elderberry has

I actually found pokeberry growing right next to my elderberry

 

Another identifying feature of the poke berry is the leaf pattern.  Pokeberry leaves grow in an alternate pattern while the Elderberry leaves grow opposite of each other.  

Pokeberry

Elderberry

Got all that?  Don't worry I'm doing plenty of homework on the subject.  Word of caution to anyone that thinks they might also have elderberry, please don't eat anything you are not 100% sure of what it is.  Pokeberries and Poison Hemlock are extremely poisonous and could kill you. Do your homework too!  

Oh the things I am going to do with my elderberries!!  Elderberry jam, Elderberry muffins, syrups!

Wonder why I'm so excited?  Elderberries are great for your immune system, full of antioxidants and rich in vitamin A and C.  Actually I think I am going to save all the Elderberry info for another post.   Maybe a series on elderberry.   For the rest of the night I am going to bask in my elderberry/foraging goodness!  

Hooray for wild edibles!!

Check out
http://www.herbalrootszine.com/articles/elderberry-vs-pokeberry/ and http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Elderberry.html