1. Black elderberry is known by several names in folk culture – sambook, pustorosl, and buzovnik.

2. When fully ripe, elderberries are rich in beneficial substances such as fructose, glucose, organic compounds, vitamin C, as well as tannins, pigments, and aromatic substances.

3. Ancient Greeks and Romans considered this shrub to have healing properties. They believed elderberry to be a divine plant that protected their homes.

4. In Germany, elderflower syrup is used in the production of candies, cold and hot beverages.

5. Black elderberry grows naturally in various regions including Macaronesia (Azores and Madeira), North Africa (Algeria and Tunisia), parts of Asia with a temperate climate (western and northern Iran, Turkey), almost all of Europe, the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus. It has also been introduced and established in New Zealand. In Russia, it grows in the southern European part.

6. The name “sambook“ was given to the berry because it was used to make an Eastern musical instrument from elderwood.

7. Elderberry is used in therapeutic diets due to its laxative and diuretic properties. It is recommended for constipation, cardiovascular diseases, and kidney disorders.

8. Black elderberry easily spreads along roads, in cemeteries, urban areas, and wastelands.

9. The ripe fruits can be used to obtain a harmless dye, which is used in the food industry.

10. Black elderberry was included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR.

11. The plant is mildly toxic to mammals.

12. The fruits are harvested when fully ripe, from August to September, and are dried in dryers or ovens at a temperature of 60-65 °C, or in sunny weather, outdoors. The dried fruits are odorless and have a slightly sweet and sour taste.

13. The fruits are used for silk dyeing, while the wood is easily polished and used in watchmaking. The pith is used in the production of anatomical sections.

14. Black elderberries are occasionally used to make jam, preserves, and jelly. In England, elderflower cordial, made from the flowers, is a traditional spring beverage. Swiss manufacturer Biotta AG produces freshly squeezed juice from hand-picked elderberries, ripened in the sun, enhancing the juice’s effects with elderflower extract.

15. Young elderflower clusters are sometimes added to grape must to enhance the aroma and taste of wine.

16. Among the peoples of Central Europe, elderberry was revered as a sacred tree that prolonged life and provided insight into the future. Elderberry fruits and flowers were widely used as food and medicinal ingredients.