Its Latin name is Sambucus Nigra and botanically it belongs to the honeysuckle ( caprifoliaceae ) family. Elder trees are found almost everywhere in Europe in West Asia and right across North America. Throughout these countries it is stooped in myth and folklore. In the Isle of Man every cottage had an Elder growing outside it's front door to ward off witches. In Russia, an Elder tree in this position was thought to ward off unwanted or evil spirits.

With this in mind it is somewhat strange that English folklore suggests the elder tree is a favourite form for a witch to take, and if its branches were cut then the witch would bleed. It has also been said that a death in the family would follow the burning of an elder tree, and gypsy folklore warns of bad-luck if its wood is used as kindling.