BLUEBERRY ELDER

Honeysuckle Family

Sambucus glauca

Somewhat uncommon at the South Rim, Blueberry Elder is a shrub or small tree to 20 feet tall. There are several growing near the Bright Angel Lodge (freezing back every winter), both in front and to the west. It grows along the upper Bright Angel Trail and across the street from the Hermit Road barriers. The stems are light-weight and pithy. Four-inch leaves are evenly toothed and compound with 5 to 9 leaflets.
The yellowish-white flowers form a flat-topped cluster up to 8 inches across, blooming July-August but as early as late May after a rainy winter (2003 and 2010). Berries form a loose hanging cluster. They are bluish purple and edible, in fact delightful on pancakes if a bit of sweetener is added.