Red-berried elder

The spongy pith of red-berried elder is made of pure cellulose and is easy to remove. Hollowed-out branches make good pipes, peashooters and spouts for maple syrup operations. The roots, leaves, twigs and green fruit are toxic. The ripe fruit have a bad reputation because of their taste and because they can sometimes be irritating to the bowels, but some people tolerate them well.