Väsby Botanical Tree Park is a unique section of nature, preserved and cared for by the municipality and its inhabitants to allow you to enjoy the healing power of trees and forests. All Sweden’s most common leafy trees are found in the forest and the park is therefore also a classroom for anyone who wants to learn more about the trees. Welcome!
The flowers of the elder are beautifully scented in the early summer. The juice that you can make from the flowers is fresh in taste. The berries are also good to make juice from. Before eating the elder, make sure it’s a true elder. The cousin, red elderberry is toxic. It has flowers in round bunches and red berries. The true elder’s flowers grows in a flat flower shape and the berries are black. Tea on the flowers was formerly the best cure for colds in many homes.
The elder was believed to assure that good house spirits would stay on the farm. A Danish proverb says: ”Where an elder cannot thrive, no man can stay alive.” In southern Sweden is called ”Hylle” tree, and many believed that a female tree guardian protected the Elder. It was important to be very polite and ask her nicely before picking the flowers. If she was insulted she could cause many problems.
Lat: Sambucus nigra, Finl: Mustaselja, Eng: Black elder