Growing Elderberries

Sambucus, or elderberries, are fascinating plants. There are species of Sambucus growing across the globe and indigenous people have used them since the beginning of time. While it was the culinary and medicinal qualities that were revered in earlier times, Sambucus has now been rediscovered as a great ornamental plant for modern gardens. Elderberries fit right in with the trend to use more foliage plants for color and texture in the landscape. Sambucus provides at least three seasons of interest in the garden, beautiful flowers, attractive foliage for summer, brilliant fall color and, don't forget, clusters of ornamental and edible fruit.

There are a lot of contradictions and confusion both in the folklore surrounding Sambucus and in the naming and classification of it. To simplify, elderberries can be roughly divided into three groups: black-, red- and yellow-fruited. Yellow- and white-fruited elderberries occur in the Southern Hemisphere. Black-fruited species, Sambucus nigra, are the most common and are found across North America and Europe. They form the larger bushes and small tree forms of elderberry. They may be referred to as Elder Trees. Red-fruited species, Sambucus racemosa, are generally smaller and shrub-like and adapted to more northerly regions of North America, Europe and Asia.

Elderberries have compound leaves, the leaflets may be simple bladelike structures with toothed edges to lacy, finely divided leaflets that resemble ferns. When crushed, the leaves and stems have an unpleasant odor. Leaf color ranges from green to deep purple to golden, and there are some varieties with variegated leaves. Most varieties of Sambucus have pleasing fall colors from red to gold before losing their leaves for winter. In the far south, elderberries may remain green and retain their leaves all year.

The form of Sambucus varies from loose, sprawling bushes to small trees with a single trunk up to 15 or 20 feet tall. In the garden they can be manipulated by pruning to form dense hedges, small trees or bushes.

Elderberries bloom in late spring or early summer. The blooms consist of flat clusters of tiny flowers, usually white, but pink in some varieties. They are quite showy and give off a slight scent, somewhat citruslike, that most people find pleasant. Sambucus blooms turn into clusters of purplish black, blue or red juicy fruits, which are quickly consumed by more than 50 species of birds if not collected by humans for jelly or wine.

Growing Elderberries
There are varieties of elderberries hardy from Zones 3 to 10, but check the zone hardiness of any variety you are considering to make sure it is hardy in your area. Most gardeners will start with plants if they want named ornamental or good fruit-producing varieties. If you just want elderberries for a naturalized setting, you can collect the berries, harvest seed from them and plant the seed where you want them to grow. Elderberries prefer fertile soil that is evenly moist. Native elderberries are often found growing in wetland areas.

Elderberries will bloom best and produce the most fruit in sunny to lightly shaded locations. If you are using Sambucus just for foliage color and texture, they will grow in partial shade. The golden-leaved elderberries tend to burn in full sun, so light to partial shade is best for them. Flowers and fruit are produced on the current year's wood, so prune elderberries in the fall or winter while they are dormant. Don't be afraid to trim them right to the ground if they have became lanky and sprawling; they will quickly recover. A little all-purpose fertilizer in the spring as the buds emerge is helpful, and elderberries must be kept well-watered for the best growth and fruit production. Insects or diseases seldom bother them.

Choosing varieties
If growing elderberries for fruit is the goal, the two most well known fruiting varieties are Adam and York. Plant some of each for the best pollination and fruit set. Ornamental Sambucus are Black Lace (deep purple-black fernlike foliage with attractive light pink flowers and purple fruit), Black Beauty (the same deep-purple foliage and pink flowers with leaflets that are undivided and larger) and Sutherland Gold (deep-golden, fernlike foliage, white flowers and red fruit with a compact at two- to three-foot size). Madonna has green foliage splashed with gold and white flowers and black fruit. Thundercloud has burgundy foliage, reddish-pink flowers and dark fruit. Francis has dark-green leaves variegated with cream, light green and gold, white flowers and purple fruit.

Using Sambucus
If all the uses of elderberry were given it would fill several pages. Every part of the plant has been used in some way. It has numerous medicinal uses; current research is centering on its use for colds and flu. In 1644 a book was published that listed some form of elderberry as a way to cure every ailment known to man. The flowers and berries are used for wine making, and berries are used for jelly and jam. Elderberry has many cosmetic uses, as a skin lightener and hair dye among others. Native Americans dried and ground the berries and used them in breads and puddings, Europeans used elderberry sprouts as spring greens and pickled the sprouts and flowers. The wood is used for fine carving and musical instruments as well as fence posts. Elderberry is used in religious and magical rites.

In the garden Sambucus is used for its foliage color and texture. It can be pruned into a number of forms, including a flowering hedge. Some gardeners also grow elderberry as a fruit crop. It is excellent as a plant to attract birds, butterflies and bees in a naturalized setting.

Cautions
All plant parts except the ripe berries are at least mildly toxic. While many parts of the plant are used in folk medicines and recipes, the plant parts are generally cooked or otherwise processed. Livestock should not be allowed to eat elderberry plants. Some people also have an allergic reaction to handling the plants.