{"id":"sambucus-nigra","license":"CC-BY-4.0","data":{"scientificName":"Sambucus nigra","commonNames":["mexican elder/blue elderberry"],"taxonRank":"species","acceptedName":"Sambucus nigra","family":"Viburnaceae","ids":{"gbifKey":2888728},"usdaZoneMin":"5a","usdaZoneMax":"8b","zoneSource":"osu-em-9103","states":["AZ"],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"introduced","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["CT"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 75 — Northeastern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 CNT — Connecticut"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z"},{"relation":"introduced","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["PA"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 75 — Northeastern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 PEN — Pennsylvania"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z"},{"relation":"introduced","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["VA"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 78 — Southeastern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 VRG — Virginia"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z"}],"hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"5","maximum":"8","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"osu-em-9103","sourceTaxon":"Sambucus nigra","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Black Elder or Common Elder profile (PDF page 111)","sourceVersion":"EM 9103, February 2015","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z"}],"plantForm":"tree","photo":{"file":"/images/plants/sambucus-nigra.jpg","sourceUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/104695913","license":"cc-by-sa","attribution":"(c) Rison Thumboor, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)","fetchedOn":"2026-08-24T00:00:00.000Z"},"evidence":[{"source":"ua-az1289","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"listed FIREWISE plant material","claims":"Listed among fire-resistant plant materials for Arizona above 3,000 feet.","edition":"2011 revision","url":"https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1289.pdf","documentDate":"2011-12-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-24T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"girona-pirojardineria-2020","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"MUY RECOMENDADA","claims":"Sambucus nigra is rated “MUY RECOMENDADA” by the guide's qualitative IUF garden-suitability method. The method assumes species-specific care and integrates fire evidence with fuel structure, maintenance, origin, invasiveness, and expert fire-service experience.","sourcePlacement":{"value":"suitable inside or outside the 25-metre maximum-risk zone","scheme":"girona-2020-iuf-25m-suitability"},"edition":"2020 Spanish edition","url":"https://interior.gencat.cat/web/.content/home/030_arees_dactuacio/bombers/foc_forestal/publicacions_tecniques_i_normativa/guies_tecniques/prevencio_i_extincio/2020_Guia_de_pirojardineria_es.pdf","documentDate":"2020-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"osu-em-9103","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"fire-resistant plants that thrive in Willamette Valley growing conditions","claims":"The shrubs & woody vines profile lists Sambucus nigra as Black Elder or Common Elder. The profile prints USDA Hardiness Zone: 5–8.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Black Elder or Common Elder profile (PDF page 111)","scheme":"osu-em-9103-profile"},"edition":"EM 9103, February 2015","url":"https://www.canbyfire.org/files/074d2a9e3/Fire-Resistant-Plants_Willamette-Valley.pdf","documentDate":"2015-02-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"maximum flame temperature (°C): 517.7666667","score":{"value":517.7666667,"scale":"FLAMITS — maximum flame temperature (°C)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 16393; Combustibility measurement; plant part branches; fuel all; predrying yes; device grill; site Pacheco2022-1; sampling october to november 2022. Primary study Pacheco2022: Pacheco, A. S., Goodman, H. D., Hankenson, L., Fisk, J. J., Ortiz, A., Marinace, H. M., ...  Tng, D. Y. P. (2022). Fighting fire with food: Assessing the flammability of crop plant species for building fire resilient agroforestry systems. in review, preprint.","plantPart":"shoot","original":"Pacheco2022","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"burning duration (s): 7.5","score":{"value":7.5,"scale":"FLAMITS — burning duration (s)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 16394; Sustainability measurement; plant part branches; fuel all; predrying yes; device grill; site Pacheco2022-1; sampling october to november 2022. Primary study Pacheco2022: Pacheco, A. S., Goodman, H. D., Hankenson, L., Fisk, J. J., Ortiz, A., Marinace, H. M., ...  Tng, D. Y. P. (2022). Fighting fire with food: Assessing the flammability of crop plant species for building fire resilient agroforestry systems. in review, preprint.","plantPart":"shoot","original":"Pacheco2022","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"flamits","verdict":"not-rated","verdictRaw":"estimated burnt biomass (%): 13.33333333","score":{"value":13.33333333,"scale":"FLAMITS — estimated burnt biomass (%)"},"claims":"FLAMITS record 16395; Consumability measurement; plant part branches; fuel all; predrying yes; device grill; site Pacheco2022-1; sampling october to november 2022. Primary study Pacheco2022: Pacheco, A. S., Goodman, H. D., Hankenson, L., Fisk, J. J., Ortiz, A., Marinace, H. M., ...  Tng, D. Y. P. (2022). Fighting fire with food: Assessing the flammability of crop plant species for building fire resilient agroforestry systems. in review, preprint.","plantPart":"shoot","original":"Pacheco2022","edition":"Dryad version 9","url":"https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h18931zr3","documentDate":"2023-12-22T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"firewise-arkansas-plant-guide","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"Sambucus nigra — American elderberry — Tolerates both wet and dry soils.","claims":"The page presents this row in its table of Firewise trees, shrubs, and groundcovers from which homeowners can choose.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Scientific name / Common name / Comments table","scheme":"arkansas-firewise-table"},"edition":"2007 one-page guide","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20070714035825/http://www.firewise.org/usa/files/ArkansasPlantGuide.pdf","documentDate":"2007-05-04T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"}],"flammabilityClass":"fire-resistant","ratingReason":"consensus","recommendation":"on-list","author":"grayson-graham","reviewStatus":"draft","lastVerified":"2026-08-24T00:00:00.000Z","reviewNotes":"Photo selected from license-verified candidates and human-reviewed 2026-08-24 (joint session)."},"localAssessmentInputs":{"stateDistribution":["AZ"],"nativeStates":[],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"introduced","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["CT"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 75 — Northeastern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 CNT — Connecticut"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},{"relation":"introduced","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["PA"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 75 — Northeastern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 PEN — Pennsylvania"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},{"relation":"introduced","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["VA"],"regions":["TDWG level 1 7 — NORTHERN AMERICA","TDWG level 2 78 — Southeastern U.S.A.","TDWG level 3 VRG — Virginia"]},"occurrenceStatus":"present","presenceStatus":"extant","source":"wcvp-v16","sourceVersion":"16","asOf":"2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},{"relation":"documented-occurrence","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["AZ"]},"provenance":"legacy-field"}],"usdaZoneMin":"5a","usdaZoneMax":"8b","hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"5","maximum":"8","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"osu-em-9103","sourceTaxon":"Sambucus nigra","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Black Elder or Common Elder profile (PDF page 111)","sourceVersion":"EM 9103, February 2015","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}],"hardinessSelection":{"status":"selected","assertion":{"minimum":"5","maximum":"8","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"osu-em-9103","sourceTaxon":"Sambucus nigra","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Black Elder or Common Elder profile (PDF page 111)","sourceVersion":"EM 9103, February 2015","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},"assertions":[{"minimum":"5","maximum":"8","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"osu-em-9103","sourceTaxon":"Sambucus nigra","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Black Elder or Common Elder profile (PDF page 111)","sourceVersion":"EM 9103, February 2015","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}]},"invasiveIn":[],"statusAssertions":[],"fireEvidenceClass":"fire-resistant","recommendation":"on-list","fireSourceScopes":[{"source":"osu-em-9103","sourceName":"Fire-resistant Landscape Plants for the Willamette Valley (EM 9103)","sourceUrl":"https://www.canbyfire.org/files/074d2a9e3/Fire-Resistant-Plants_Willamette-Valley.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["OR"],"regions":["Willamette Valley"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"OSU Extension says EM 9103 highlights fire-resistant plants that thrive under Willamette Valley growing conditions. FireApproved publishes 172 exact owners only as valley context. The guide shares the PNW 590 lineage and is not a second independent vote or statewide site clearance.","sourceVersion":"OSU-EM-9103-2015-02","asOf":"2015-02-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ua-az1289","sourceName":"FIREWISE Plant Materials for 3,000 ft. and Higher Elevations (AZ1289)","sourceUrl":"https://extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/pubs/az1289.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["AZ"],"regions":["Arizona at or above 3,000 feet"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"AZ1289 is explicitly limited to Arizona elevations of 3,000 feet and higher. FireApproved publishes 69 exact owners as regional Arizona context, retaining every water and elevation condition. It is never promoted to statewide low-desert guidance or an independent Tier 1 vote.","sourceVersion":"UA-Extension-AZ1289-2011-12","asOf":"2011-12-01T00:00:00.000Z"}],"firePerformanceConditions":[],"maintenanceAssertions":[],"maintenanceConditions":null,"regulatoryReviews":{},"seedReviews":{}},"legacyCompatibilityProjection":{"nativeStates":[],"invasiveIn":[],"usdaZoneMin":"5","usdaZoneMax":"8"},"localAssessmentContract":"Compare each dimension separately. State noxious-weed seed designations are material-scoped and never become non-seed plant restrictions, ecological-invasive findings, nursery restrictions, alternatives, product evidence, or fire votes. Introduced/established context is not an invasive warning. Minimum-only hardiness has no inferred maximum; canonical source-temperature conversion is validated and contradictory applicable rows project no primary zone. L48 context applies only to conterminous states and is never exact-state status. Fire-performance conditions are not maintenance advice. FEIS fire-ecology context does not vote in the plant classification. Absence of a status row is not regulatory clearance."}