Sambucus nigra

      Elder Flowers, Leaves and Berries (Sambucus nigra). The attractive black elder tree has new friends all over the world. Its berries recently made headlines as a cure for the flu, its leaves have expectorant properties and its flowers fight congestion and muscle spasms.

      Madeleine Mumcuoglu, an Israeli scientist, developed a syrup made from elderberries that has been shown in clinical tests to prevent and treat influenza. Sambucol syrup and lozenges are sold in health food stores, as is a similar elderberry syrup from the Sambu International Cleansing Program (see appendix for sources). 
Elder blossoms are a popular ingredient in herbal cough drops such as Ricola lozenges from Switzerland.