Elderberry vs Water Hemlock: Identify the difference between one deadly and one very useful plant

One plant boosts immunity and offers relief for common illnesses while another can cause death in as little as 15 minutes. How do you tell them a part?
Elderberry (Sambucus) is found in temperate, subtropical climates and can be extremely useful in treating minor illnesses such as flu, colds, constipation, and other conditions, often served as a tea, extract, or in a capsule. The berries are edible when cooked, but can be toxic if eaten raw.
However, this shrub is very similar looking to the dangerous Water Hemlock plant (Cicuta), which can cause death in as littles as 15 minutes. It is considered to be the most dangerous plant growing in North America and are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
Joel Graves, co-founder and instructor at American Survival Co. takes you through the common characteristics to identify each plant and be confident in understanding the differences. At American Survival, plant knowledge is of signficant importance and we offer regular plant walks and plant identification courses. Learn more about American Survival Co and sign up for a class at americansurvivalco.com
American Survival Co. offers Bushcraft Skills & Survival Skills courses in Florida, Arkansas, Maine, Georgia and traveling around the globe to provide private training and corporate events.
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[@Bioluvskatz]

You may have just saved my life! I have checked out 50ish elderberry videos here and NOT ONCE has anyone mentioned there is a DEADLY LOOKALIKE!!! Not knowing that I probably would’ve assumed it to be some species of Elderberry!!! A million thank yous❣️❣️❣️

[@HotelPapa100]

Lookalike? Really??! One is a woody bush (and a rather large one to give you any sensible amount of fruit), the other is a herb. One must be VERY unaware of plant properties to mix the two up. If you are so oblivious to the natural world, foraging is not for you.

[@AhJodie]

It is funny that I grew up in the country and there are so many things we did, including eating the inside of elderberry stems, my dad said it is like gum, but no one ever showed us deadly hemlock..... an important skill to know! Thank you!

[@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783]

Idea... 🤔Flat flowers like a dinner table, vs a curved table where the food falls off meaning you don't eat it! 😁🌿🍲

[@jroark101]

Good idea actually

[@stolenlaptop]

I've never mistook the two but people who've never found these plants could mix them up. Excellent video.

[@philippalmer7820]

Great video and good closeups of plant thanks

[@americansurvivalco.9999]

Thank you, appreciate it!

[@blackhawkmg3722]

Would love to see more of these types of videos:) thanks for the info :)

[@fatimawilson9473]

Love the video... clear and concise.

[@homesteadaquarius]

Thank you, this was great. makes it easy to ID

[@and5389]

Side by side was great. Thanks!

[@sherington6629]

Another awesome video! Thanks, Joel!

[@americansurvivalco.9999]

Well, you're an awesome patron!

[@theharperhome]

This is the most informative comparison video on elderberry I've seen. Thank you!

[@IanCrouse]

Wonderful video. Thank you.

[@JJMorrisFTF]

Great video brother 🤘🏻

[@americansurvivalco.9999]

Thanks!

[@jackieo8693]

Thank you for the valuable information!

[@margaret2222]

Wow thank you so much for this video. It is great information and I had no idea how to tell them apart. I am just starting to think about foraging and need to learn so much.

[@wifeofagrumpyoldmarine428]

Great video...thank you!

[@shawnsg]

These plants look vastly different. If someone is getting confused, that's probably a good sign they shouldn't even be interacting with them much less trying to consume parts.

[@cathtf7957]

That's true. I've seen people standing right in front of a Rose bush, asking me " Where are the Roses? ". You don't know what you don't know.

[@olderendirt]

Good information. I have a very tall wild one in my back woods and one a bird planted in a flowerbed. Both are loaded with flowers, but I've been nervous about whether they're hemlock or elderberry. I'll be more equipped to ID them now. Thanks for the concise and close up, clear information. I see a pie or two in my future.

[@susanfreeman5340]

Awesome I'm happy for you! Post a pic of your elderberry bush for us to appreciate too!!! I saw a photos of a black lace elderberry recently and it's very beautiful

[@heidimisfeldt5685]

Thank you very much.

[@KpopMom1980]

The flowers look very different to me :) which comforts me, because it means I still have an eye for differences in small things :) Thank you for this video

[@libertyrevolutionary1776]

That shit is everywhere here in Missouri. I've got a heart defect, but I always have to cut a ton of it out of the wood line every year... the sap sprays in the air and I end up breathing it in... ironically enough, because this a GABAa stimulant, it's treated with GABAa depressant such as benzodiazepine... something else that is a GABAa receptor depressant is alcohol... so I've found that if I've been exposed to it, I take a shot of vodka twice a day for a week after exposure, it eventually works out of my system and the heart palpitations, breathing trouble, and migraines go away with it...

[@cqammaz53]

Mushrooms scare me. I'm going to buy my 1st elderberry plant from a framer. So I'm sure he would make this mistake but it is important for me to know this information as well. Thanks for sharing.

[@cindysmith5351]

Thanks

[@DrTiaJolie]

Thank you

[@hellosunshine9915]

Thank you !!!

[@scott1lori282]

Could save a life so big ol thumbs up.

[@ioann235]

The posture of the flower changes during the day. What you said is probably flowers at midday...

[@JaniceCrowell]

Do you do any plant walks in the Atlanta area?

[@horizonblack]

Thanks :-)

[@cathtf7957]

Great 👍

[@thomaswilkins7535]

Good stuff

[@singingway]

Very good. You could define the terms you use, that would help. ( Lenticils?)

[@sandradee8880]

To me hemlock looks like queens Ann’s lace. Or is water hemlock different?

[@americansurvivalco.9999]

We'll be posting a video very soon detailing the visual differences between Poison Hemlock and Queen Anns Lace, keep an eye out for it!

[@ashleymullinnix1686]

I have a plant on my property I just bought. It is tall (about 10ft) and produces berries. Fits the bill of elderberry but the leaves don’t have the saw like edge...where can I find out what it is?

[@AaronLyNxAI]

I live in Alabama, and in one week from today there is a plant walk going on, free but have to register. The local government does this to help new gardeners and people who go to the lake it is taking place at to know what to avoid or not

[@fabricio-agrippa-zarate1000]

IDK if it's just the camera, but seems like elderberry's leaves are darker in colour than water hemlock! I think than that, together with the difference in the colours of the main stem, is what we gotta look for first.

[@alanpassmore2574]

Is it different to European elderberry? It's easy to see the difference to hemlock here because they grow into trees very quickly and have large leaves.

[@tdtrecordsmusic]

There is a tree / giant bush ,, which I have been sooooooooooooo curious wtf it is. Now all this hype about elderberry makes me say " woa that looks similar except the leaf shape, and grouping. Berry cluster looks similar. I've only eaten ~10 or so berries and never noticed any effects. They are kinda sweet, but city people would likely spit them out as they don't taste like ice cream & hamburgers. Are there any methods for identifying plants ?

[@everrettwesterman2381]

Get a book on local flora and a guide to botany terms and it will give all the information you need to identify a plant. The book on flora takes a little effort to learn to use, but are very detailed. For example I have a copy of A Utah Flora and Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary by James G Harris and Melinda Wolf Harris. Hope this helps!

[@tdtrecordsmusic]

@@everrettwesterman2381 I do have some books, but I will look into your specific recommendation. Thanks :)

[@ekaterinapsylophy2420]

Interesting!... My grandma used to gather hemlock for cancer treatment.

[@scott1lori282]

And then??

[@elenalatici9568]

A faster death from hemlock, that's for sure.

[@hearthecrysofthecrusaders3357]

Ok I have a plant that is green with the purple but the leaves are like that of elderberry, small plant.

[@davehaggerty3405]

Does hemlock have fruit? I grew up eating a lot of wild elderberries. Elderberry pancakes were a favorite. There was a plant with similar berries call Polk berries which were not edible. Was that water hemlock?

[@susanfreeman5340]

No, Polk salad is very different. Boil Polk leaves once throw the water out and stir fry with eggs garlic and onions. It's delicious. I've heard folks say to boil it 3 times. I grew up eating this. If that's true I should've died many times..

[@Mandy138Cool]

I assume Poke Weed, not 'polk'? Never heard of Polk, but might be a local name?

[@davehaggerty3405]

@@Mandy138Cool phonetic spelling. I never saw it written. It was pronounced with the L As in James K Polk. I guess to make it separate from poke which according to our neighbors was a bag. Is it poke berries?

[@Mandy138Cool]

@@davehaggerty3405 The Poke weed leaves are edible, but everything else is not and highly toxic. It must be cooked in order to remove the toxins. I'm guessing it's a regional thing saying 'polk', but perhaps a search on YT for Poke weed might clear some things up?

[@TheDogggrecords]

What do you mean by the new growth is green?

[@carriebecker8383]

The older, main stems of elderberry are darker in color, but new stems growing off of the older ones are green. Whereas with water hemlock, all stems are the same color

[@johnnyparker9928]

That's the first time I've heard it called "water" hemlock.

[@shawnsg]

There is water hemlock and poison hemlock if that's what you're thinking about.

[@bobcantstandzyobitz9778]

but does water hemlock produce berries?

[@GoldenTV3]

Also, don't confused elderberry with Pokeweed which is also dangerous just takes a slightly larger quantity.

[@ArthurTheLibraryDetective]

🙂🕵😎..what The BoyScouts used to do...🙏🌿💞

[@NascarHhotttee]

Wild carrots and poison hemlock look way too close to each other.

[@scott1lori282]

Pokeweed Annie by the great Tony Joe White.

[@oldeagle2514]

If you can't tell the difference between apples and oranges, you shouldn't be foraging!

[@destonlee2838]

foiling my evil plans?

[@ericdietz2944]

why would people eat hemlock? at least people might eat the elderberry berry

[@michaeldodson4410]

L

[@cindysquirrelloffgrid9514]

Thank you