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[nottke <nottke1@earthlink.net>]

Stephan,

>While I'm writing, there is something local that really looks like
>elderberry (covered with berries that look like black elderberry
>berries). I'm reasonably familiar with elderberry and everything about
>the plants (clumps, leaves, berries) looks right. Is there any chance of
>it being some other evil/dangerous plant masquerading as elderberry? I
>remember hearing about "porcelainberry" being mistaken for elderberry (I
>don't think that they really look similar at all) and got to wondering
>whether eating the berries that I found would be a mistake.

"Porcelainberry" (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) is a climbing vine like wild
grape, not a bush - it has berries that could only be mistaken by someone
who has never seen a real live elderberry.  Porcelainberries go through a
series of color changes from green through ivory and ending up a shade of
blue.

Jim Nottke
Pfafftown, NC 27040
Hardiness Zone 7A