The delicate blooms from elderflowers can be easy to overlook until you understand how useful they have been in traditional herbal practice.
Most people today recognize elder because of elderberry syrup, but herbalists work with more than just the fruit. The flowers of European black elder, Sambucus nigra, have their own history of use, particularly during the early stages of seasonal respiratory illness.
Traditionally prepared as a hot infusion, elderflower is perhaps best known as a gentle diaphoretic, an herb used to support the body's natural sweating response. It has also been used for the upper respiratory tract, when congestion, stuffiness, or that first sense of coming down with something begins.
And while elderflower's traditional reputation goes back centuries, its chemistry gives us another interesting way to understand the plant.
Elderflower at a Glance
Botanical name: Sambucus nigra L.
Family: Adoxaceae
Common names: Elderflower, European elder, black elder, elder
Part used: Flowers
Taste: Aromatic, slightly sweet, mildly bitter
Energetics: Traditionally considered cooling and gently drying
Primary herbal actions: Diaphoretic, anticatarrhal, mild diuretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
Common preparations: Hot infusion, tincture, cordial, syrup, oxymel, and herbal tea blends
Identification and Habitat
Sambucus nigra is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to much of Europe and parts of western Asia and North Africa, although elder species are now found and cultivated much more widely.
Elder produces broad clusters of small, fragrant, creamy-white flowers, typically appearing in late spring to early summer. These flowers eventually develop into the dark purple-black berries for which elder is probably best known.
The flowers are traditionally harvested when freshly opened and can be used fresh or carefully dried for later use.
Correct botanical identification matters when wildcrafting elder. Several plants can appear superficially similar when in flower, and not every plant with a flat cluster of white flowers belongs in the medicine cabinet.
Elderflower vs. Elderberry
Elderflower and elderberry come from the same plant, but they should not be treated as interchangeable herbal medicines.
Elderflower refers to the flowers of Sambucus nigra and has traditionally been used primarily as a diaphoretic and upper respiratory herb.
Elderberry refers to the mature fruit and contains a different phytochemical profile, including the dark anthocyanin pigments associated with the berries.
This distinction becomes particularly important when looking at research. Many of the modern clinical studies commonly discussed in relation to “elder” have investigated elderberry preparations rather than elderflower.
Traditional Uses of Elderflower
Elder has occupied an important place in European folk herbalism for centuries, and the flowers became particularly associated with the early stages of colds and other seasonal respiratory complaints.
One of elderflower's classic uses is as a diaphoretic.
Diaphoretic herbs are traditionally used to encourage peripheral circulation and support the body's natural sweating response. Elderflower was commonly prepared as a hot tea when someone first began feeling chilled, congested, or feverish.
Traditional herbalists have also used elderflower for:
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Early stages of seasonal respiratory illness
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Nasal and sinus congestion
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Upper respiratory catarrh
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Supporting a healthy fever response
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Mild fluid retention
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General respiratory support
The European Medicines Agency recognizes the traditional use of Sambucus nigra flower preparations for relief of early symptoms of the common cold. This recognition is based on long-standing traditional medicinal use rather than strong modern clinical-trial evidence.
Elderflower in Traditional Skin Care
Elderflower's usefulness has not been limited to teas and respiratory preparations. The flowers also have a history of external use in traditional herbal skin care, where elderflower preparations have been used as washes, compresses, infused waters, and ingredients in lotions and creams.
This traditional use becomes particularly interesting when we look at the chemistry of the flower.
Elderflowers contain a substantial concentration of polyphenolic compounds, including rutin, quercetin derivatives, chlorogenic acid derivatives, kaempferol compounds, and naringenin.
These compounds are of interest in skin care because of their antioxidant activity.
These compounds are also being investigated for their potential role in protecting skin from oxidative stress. Ultraviolet exposure increases the formation of reactive oxygen species in the skin. Over time, oxidative stress contributes to processes involved in photoaging, including changes in collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix.
Some experimental Sambucus nigra preparations have demonstrated collagenase-inhibiting activity. Collagenase is an enzyme involved in collagen breakdown, making this an interesting area of research for botanical skin-care formulation.
This research is preliminary, however, and should not be interpreted to mean that applying elderflower to the skin will prevent wrinkles or reverse skin aging.
Elderflower and Uneven Pigmentation
Another interesting area of elderflower research involves tyrosinase.
Tyrosinase is an enzyme involved in melanin production. Because excessive or uneven melanin production contributes to hyperpigmentation, cosmetic researchers often investigate plant compounds capable of influencing tyrosinase activity.
Taste, Energetics, and Herbal Actions
Elderflower is aromatic and slightly sweet with a mild bitterness.
In traditional herbal practice, it is generally considered cooling and gently drying, particularly where there is heat accompanied by congestion or excessive secretions.
Diaphoretic
This is probably elderflower's most characteristic traditional action.
A hot elderflower infusion has traditionally been used to encourage sweating during the early stages of feverish respiratory illness. In traditional herbal theory, this was viewed as helping move heat outward toward the surface of the body.
Preparation matters here.
Drinking elderflower as a warm or hot infusion is part of the traditional application. The heat of the preparation itself works alongside the herb and is one reason a cup of elderflower tea may be quite different therapeutically from swallowing an elderflower capsule.
Anticatarrhal
Elderflower is also traditionally classified as an anticatarrhal herb.
Catarrh refers to excessive mucus or inflammation involving mucous membranes, particularly within the nose, sinuses, and upper respiratory tract.
This makes elderflower especially interesting in traditional formulas for stuffiness, sinus congestion, and upper respiratory complaints.
It combines well with herbs such as peppermint, yarrow, thyme, or other respiratory herbs depending upon the individual and presentation.
Mild Diuretic
Elderflower has also traditionally been used as a mild diuretic, supporting normal urinary fluid elimination.
This is not generally the primary reason I reach for elderflower, but it is part of the broader traditional picture of the herb.
Antioxidant and Inflammatory Pathway Activity
Modern laboratory research has identified numerous polyphenolic compounds in elderflower with antioxidant activity and potential effects on inflammatory signaling.
This does not mean that drinking elderflower tea should be equated with treating inflammatory disease. It does, however, help us better understand some of the chemistry behind a plant that herbalists have worked with for generations.
Phytochemistry: What's Inside Elderflower?
Elderflower contains a surprisingly rich collection of plant compounds.
Among the most notable are flavonoids and phenolic acids, including:
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Rutin
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Quercetin derivatives
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Isoquercitrin
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Kaempferol derivatives
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Isorhamnetin glycosides
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Chlorogenic acid
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Caffeic acid derivatives
Elderflower also contains smaller amounts of triterpenes, sterols, volatile compounds, tannins, mucilage, pectin, sugars, and minerals.
Rutin and chlorogenic acid are particularly interesting constituents of elderflower. Studies examining different Sambucus nigra varieties have found substantial concentrations of both compounds in the flowers.
These compounds are not unique to elderflower, but together they contribute to its broader polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activity.
The chemistry also helps explain why preparation method matters.
Some elderflower constituents extract readily into hot water, while alcohol and mixed water-alcohol solvents can capture somewhat different chemical profiles. Herbal preparation is not simply a matter of putting a plant into a liquid. The solvent, temperature, time, and plant material all influence what ends up in the finished preparation.
What Does Modern Research Tell Us?
This is where elderflower requires some restraint.
Elderberry has received considerably more attention in human clinical research than elderflower. Therefore, claims based on elderberry studies should not be applied to the flower.
Research specifically examining elderflower has largely focused on its chemistry and laboratory activity.
Chemical analyses have confirmed that Sambucus nigra flowers are rich in phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids such as rutin, quercetin derivatives, and chlorogenic acid.
Studies of aqueous elderflower extracts have demonstrated that hot-water extraction can effectively recover many of these phenolic constituents. Laboratory research has also investigated antioxidant, antimicrobial, and inflammatory pathway activity.
More recent experimental work has continued to characterize elderflower extracts and their effects on inflammatory signaling pathways.
These findings are interesting and help explain the biological activity of the plant, but laboratory findings are not the same thing as demonstrating a clinical effect in humans.
At present, elderflower is a good example of an herb where traditional use is considerably stronger than the human clinical evidence.
Traditional herbalism and modern research answer different questions. Traditional use tells us how a plant has been prepared and applied across generations. Phytochemistry helps us understand what is present in the plant. Laboratory research can identify potential biological mechanisms. Human clinical trials then ask whether a specific preparation produces a measurable effect in people.
Good herbalism does not require pretending those forms of evidence are interchangeable.
Preparing Elderflower
Hot Infusion
A hot infusion is one of the most traditional ways to work with elderflower.
Because elderflower is delicate and aromatic, it generally does not require the prolonged simmering we might use for a dense root or bark.
Pour hot water over the dried flowers, cover the vessel to help retain aromatic constituents, steep, and strain.
When elderflower is being used traditionally as a diaphoretic, the infusion is generally consumed warm or hot.
Tincture
Elderflower can also be prepared as an alcohol or alcohol-water extract.
Tincturing provides a convenient concentrated preparation and extracts a somewhat different range of constituents than water alone.
Culinary Preparations
Fresh elderflowers have a long culinary history as well.
They are used in cordials, syrups, vinegars, beverages, and other preparations. Their distinctive floral aroma makes elderflower one of the herbs that comfortably occupies the space between food and traditional herbal medicine.
Growing and Harvesting Elderflower
Elder is a generous plant once established.
It generally prefers moist, fertile soil and can grow vigorously when given adequate water and sunlight. Depending upon climate and species, elder may grow as a large shrub or small tree.
The flowers are generally harvested when the majority of the tiny blossoms in the cluster have opened but before they begin browning.
Harvest on a dry day after surface moisture has evaporated. The flower clusters can then be carefully dried with good airflow and protected from excessive heat and direct sunlight.
One practical consideration: every flower cluster harvested is one that cannot become berries later in the season.
If you want both elderflower and elderberries from the same plants, don't harvest every bloom.
You might have to cover your bushes, or the birds will beat you to the bounty.
An Herbalist's Perspective
People hear “elder” and immediately think elderberry syrup. But the flower tells a different part of the plant's story.
I especially appreciate elderflower in traditional respiratory formulas when someone is at the beginning of that chilled, stuffy, uncomfortable stage and a warm cup of tea simply makes sense.
It is also a good example of why I don't believe herbs should be reduced to lists of conditions they are “good for.”
The question isn't only, “What does elderflower treat?”
A better question is:
What does elderflower do, what kind of tissue state or pattern has it traditionally been used for, and what preparation best expresses those actions?
That is where herbalism becomes much more useful.
Safety and Precautions
Properly prepared elderflower from correctly identified Sambucus nigra has a long history of traditional use.
A few precautions are still important.
Correct plant identification is essential, particularly when wildcrafting. Other parts of elder, including leaves, stems, bark, and unripe fruit, should not automatically be used in the same way as the flowers or properly prepared ripe berries.
People with known sensitivity to plants in the Adoxaceae family should avoid elderflower.
Safety data during pregnancy and breastfeeding are limited, so individualized guidance from a qualified healthcare professional is appropriate.
Anyone taking medications, managing a chronic health condition, or using elderflower therapeutically should discuss its use with a knowledgeable healthcare professional when appropriate.
Persistent, severe, or worsening respiratory symptoms, difficulty breathing, significant dehydration, or prolonged fever warrant medical evaluation.
The Bottom Line
Elderflower may live in the shadow of the much more famous elderberry, but it deserves its own place in the herbal apothecary.
Its traditional use as a diaphoretic and upper respiratory herb spans generations, while modern phytochemical research has identified a complex mixture of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other plant compounds that help us understand the chemistry behind the tradition.
Purchase bulk elderflower here. Seasonal Herbal Tea with Elderflower
References
European Medicines Agency. (2018). European Union herbal monograph on Sambucus nigra L., flos. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products.
European Medicines Agency. (2018). Assessment report on Sambucus nigra L., flos. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products.
Mikulic-Petkovsek, M., Samoticha, J., Eler, K., Stampar, F., & Veberic, R. (2016). Traditional elderflower beverages: A rich source of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Viapiana, A., & Wesolowski, M. (2017). The phenolic contents and antioxidant activities of infusions of Sambucus nigra L. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 72, 82–87.
About the Author
Sherri Stickler, RH (AHG) is a Registered Herbalist, former Registered Respiratory Therapist, educator, writer, and founder of Synergy Herbal Works in Tennessee. She began her herbal practice in 2014 and has worked with more than 1,000 clients. Her approach to herbalism brings together traditional herbal knowledge, physiology, phytochemistry, current research, and years of hands-on experience growing, harvesting, formulating, and working with medicinal plants.
Continue learning: Explore more plant profiles in the Synergy Herbal Works Materia Medica and Herbal Learning Hub, or visit our Herb Shelf to explore the botanicals discussed in our articles.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease or replace individualized medical care.
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