Plant an Elderberry Garden

With its plentiful white domed flowering clusters (cymes) on a large bushy structure, the elderberry (USDA Zones 3 - 11) is seen growing wild along roadsides and other moist areas, blooming in the latter part of spring each year. They are so plentiful most people look upon them as weedy growth-yet, from summer to fall, they grow an abundance of blue-black juicy berries that make the most flavorful wine, jelly, and pies.¹ The flowers, leaves, and branches may also be put to good use.²

Waste Not Want Not

The tragedy is that most of the harvest gets wasted. Who, after all, deliberately grows these bushes? But if you enjoy the taste of wild berries, and you have a stretch of very moist ground on your property, maybe you should. Elderberry bushes are usually allowed to grow wild, but they can be trimmed and shaped, even aggressively. The fruit is most rewarding! Watch out, though, as wildlife loves them, including the birds-but maybe that is why you want to plant them, anyway.

Growing and Transplanting

Elderberry bushes can be grown from seed. They may also be commercially bought. Quite possibly, however, you wish to transplant some wild bushes that you have access to. If so, cut it way back, and dig out the root ball, keeping it moist. At the location you desire to plant, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball about three to four feet deep. To assure the plant receives adequate rainfall, surrounding soil can be sloped downward toward the bush. Water is most critical during the first season following transplant. To be assured of fruit, it is important to plant two or more different cultivars for cross-pollination.

An Elderberry Garden

Recently during a drive in the country, the author spotted a mesh wire fenced-in area housing a well-groomed collection of elderberry bushes. Whether the owner of the property is an aficionado of good wine, good jelly, tea, or even battered and fried flower clusters, the effect was most pleasing to this passerby.

¹Warning: do not use the unripe red berries, as they may contain toxic levels of hydrocyanic acid and the alkaloid sambucine. Also note the poisonous water hemlock plant, which bears some resemblance to the elderberry, blooms at the same time of year. Once recognized, there should be no difficulty in distinguishing the two.

²USDA - NRCS Plant Guide - Common Elderberry

Resources:

University of Florida - School of Forest Resources and Conservation - Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Elderberry/elderber.htm

Elderberries in paradise
http://www.back-2nature.com/b2ncolumns/120104_out-02.htm

Floridata - Sambucus Canadensis
http://www.floridata.com/ref/S/samb_can.cfm