| Noun | 1. | dwarf elder - dwarf herbaceous elder of Europe having pink flowers and a nauseous odor genus Sambucus, Sambucus - elder; elderberry elderberry bush, elder - any of numerous shrubs or small trees of temperate and subtropical northern hemisphere having white flowers and berrylike fruit |
| 2. | dwarf elder - bristly herb of eastern and central North America having black fruit and medicinal barkgenus Aralia - type genus of Araliaceae; large widely distributed genus of shrubs and trees and vines: spikenard; Hercules'-club |