Elderberry and Edelweiss

Sometimes things cross my path that I "must" look up. One of these things recently has been the Elderberry. Yes, I know, I'm a dork, but I find all this interesting and so naturally... I think you all would find it interesting too! It really is called Sambucus, and is in the honeysuckle family. People make liqueur with the flowers and make jam from the berries. Hollowed elderberry twigs have traditionally been used as spiles to tap maple syrup from trees. Elderberry extract is often used to treat flu symptoms for people with compromised immune systems. It can be given to children all the way to the elderly with no known side effects. The elderberry jam doesn't do the same trick of healing the flu symptoms... only the extract. Here's a pic of the elderberry fruit. By the way, if you've ever tried Elderberry anything please let me know what you think it tastes like. I've never had anything Elderberry.


Below is a picture of an Edelweiss flower. It is in the sunflower family and is largely a mountain flower. Edel means noble, and weiss means white. Ben sings the song Edelweiss to Gwen all the time, so I was curious as to what they look like. Gwen's name in Welsh means white. Anyway... it looks completely different to what I imagined. Look how hairy it looks! It's protected in many areas, so don't think you're going to get a bouquet of these anytime soon.