Welcome to my Food Forest where I grow an number of fruits in the Bee Better Teaching Garden. Information in this fruit series is based on knowledge I’ve gained growing in hardiness zone 7b, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Helen Yoest

Kind:

Latin Name: Sambucus canadensis

Common Name: Elderberry

Type: Deciduous shrub

Height: 5 to 12 feet

Spread: 5 to 12 feet

Pollination: Self-fruitful, but bigger crops with two cultivars for cross-pollination. This applies to both the American, S. canadensis and European, S. nigra species. The American elderberry can be eaten straight off the bush, but it's not all that tasty raw.. Elderberries are the ultimate wildlife habitat shrub.

Wildlife Benefits: Fruits are attractive to wildlife. American elderberry, Sambucus canadensis and European elder, Sambucus nigra, are closely related. The Royal Horticultural Society currently lists American elder as Sambucus nigra var. canadensis.

Origin of species:  Eastern and Southern North America

Native Cultivars: ‘Adams’ & ‘York’

Culture Information:

Sun: Full sun to part shade

Water: Wet to medium that drains well

Zone: 3 to 9

Care:

Plant: Spring

Fertilizer/pH: 4.8

Groom/Prune: During the first two seasons, elderberry plants should be encouraged to grow vigorously with little to no pruning required. After the second year, pruning should be done annually in early spring. All dead, broken, and weak canes should be removed.

Pest/disease Control: No serious insect or disease problems. No serious insect or disease problems. Some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites and aphids. Branches are susceptible to damage from high winds or from heavy snow/ice in winter. Plants will spread by root suckers.

Propagation:

Gardeners can propagate elderberry (Sambucus spp.) simply by taking a cutting and rooting it in the soil. Softwood cuttings are best for propagating elderberries, thanks to their new growth that is just beginning to harden and mature. Take your cuttings in June, July ,or August and root them in the soil right away.

Comments:

Fruits of species plants are used to make jams, jellies, pie filings, and elderberry wine, and did you know you can infuse the flowers in vodka for a nice flavored toddy? Give it about a month.

Did you know elderberry carries Pierce’s Disease which is the number one disease that kills bunch grapes, and I grow them? I need to watch out for this type of thing.

Pierce’s disease spends part of its life cycle in elderberry plants, Sambucus canadensis which, as you know, are a common weed here. So problems occur with bunch grapes if there are elderberry bushes anywhere near them. 

 There are ways around this since it can often take about 5 years before it  kills the grapevines, so you can still get a decent amount of fruit before you have to replace the vines. I could just plant new vines every two years or so, and chop out the ones that are dying. They grow fast and fruit heavily on their second or third year. But in truth, I’m not much of a vodka drinker :).