Time for a spooky Tree of the Week! For Halloween, ArborNote’s Tree of the Week is the American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). The species is native to a large area of North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south throughout the mainland Americas to Bolivia. The Elderberry tree has a dual nature in many cultures. In England, it is seen as a protector against witches and evil spirits. People would plant them by their house, hang them over their front door or wear an amulet with a piece of an Elderberry branch inside to protect them from those evil spirits. In Celtic and Scandinavian cultures, Elderberry trees are thought to have a “dryad” or tree spirit inside of the tree itself. It was considered bad luck to cut down an Elderberry Tree, as you may face the wrath of the Dryad that called the tree home!