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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, both in front and
to the west, and it grows along the upper Bright Angel Trail. 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). Berries form a loose
hanging cluster. They are bluish purple and edible, in fact delightful
on pancakes if a bit of sweetener is added.
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