Elder

Seeds dispersed by

• Common BlackbirdTurdus merula

  Consumes Elder berries in large quantities in late summer and autumn; seeds pass through the gut intact and are deposited in new locations. Blackbird is one of the primary dispersers of Elder across woodland edge and hedgerow habitats.

Host of

• Jelly EarAuricularia auricula-judae

  The association is so strong that the fungus's folk name "Judas's Ear" refers to the Elder tree from which Judas Iscariot is said to have hanged himself. Near-obligate on Elder in practice, though occasional records exist on other hosts.

• Poplar FieldcapCyclocybe cylindracea

  Occasionally fruits on elder trunks, a recorded secondary host.

Eaten by

• Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus

  Feeds extensively on Elder berries during winter irruptions into western Europe, often in large flocks alongside Blackbirds and Fieldfares.