Things in the world of Botany can be confusing, there are apparently three Elderberries on the Pacific coast, red, black and blue.

My most recent text has the Red Elderberry of the coastal Pacific Northwest, listed as Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens var. aborescens and the Black Elderberry of the Interior, which sometimes occurs on the coast too, as S. racemosa ssp. pubens var. melanocarpa. Blue Elderberry which is also found on the coast is listed as S. caerulea and has a fleshier blue berry with a whitish blume. Unlike S. racemosa (red and black), whose flower clusters are rounded or pyramid shaped, S. caerulea has flat topped flower clusters.

Red Elderberries are yucky tasting, small and seedy and will cause nausea if eaten raw, although they were was once a very important First Nations foodsource. The fresh leaves, stems, bark and roots contain cyanide producing glycocides.

All of them apparently make excellent jellies and wines, although the berries should be cooked first.

I've never made any jellies or wine with them, because there are so many better tasting berries here. However, I have made Oregon Grape and Salal Berry jelly. Salal berry jelly has a flowery, perfumy fragrance and a sharper flavour like a current jelly.