American red elder

5.0

A small tree or bush from North America that has clusters of red berries

noun
/əˈmɛrɪkən rɛd ˈɛldər/

: saúco rojo americano

The American red elder produces clusters of bright red berries in early summer.

Examples

Gardeners appreciate the American red elder for its hardiness and ornamental value.
Birds are often attracted to the fruits of the American red elder in the wild.
The American red elder grows well in moist areas.
I saw an American red elder in the park yesterday.
The American red elder produces clusters of bright red berries in early summer.
Birds are often attracted to the fruits of the American red elder in the wild.
Gardeners appreciate the American red elder for its hardiness and ornamental value.

Synonyms

red-berried elder

vsAmerican red elder

9.9

A small tree or bush with clusters of bright red berries

is more narrowly North American and common there rather than Eurasian

Sambucus racemosa

vsAmerican red elder

9.9

A shrub with clusters of bright red berries that attract birds

is the common North American form rather than being Eurasian native

Surface Forms

American red elder singular

American red elders plural

Morphology

American + red + elder

The meaning 'a North American elder shrub with red berries' is directly and compositionally derived from 'American' (regional modifier) + 'red' (color) + 'elder' (the Sambucus shrub). This simple adjectival noun phrase follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

American red elder is a simple picture name: American shows where it grows, red points to its bright berries, and elder is the common word for elderberry plants. So the name helps you remember it is a small 'shrub' or 'tree' with clusters of red 'berries'.