Elderberry Variety and Benefits
Metus dictum at tempor commodo
Seldom has a neglected shrub risen so fast in public esteem as the humble American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis or S. nigra subsp. canadensis). It wasn’t too long ago that it was dismissed as a weedy plant of roadsides and barnyards. But that perception has changed dramatically. This new interest in the elderberry owes much to introductions that bear larger fruits or stunning ornamental foliage or flowers on improved forms that are suited to garden settings such as the “edible landscape.”
Its health benefits are a definite plus with health-conscious gardeners and cooks. To cap its exalted position, it was designated the 2013 Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association for its long history as a useful plant.
Elderberries In the Wild
American elderberries form thickets from Nova Scotia south to Florida, and west to Manitoba and Texas. Plants grow up to 15 feet tall in wet or dry soil, their branches sprouting deeply cut, serrated-edged green leaves that are shed in the fall. By mid to late June, the shrub’s very twiggy branches bear tiny cream-colored, musk-scented florets in large clusters to which butterflies are attracted. Ripe berries on purplish stems in late summer, are dark purple, and are quickly eaten by birds if not picked.
The roots, green stems, leaves and unripe fruits contain powerful alkaloids and cyanide-like glycosides which could be toxic if ingested; the red berries of the earlier bearing native S. racemosa are poisonous and should never be eaten.
Black elder (S. nigra), the European species, is native to Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. It grows more like a small tree to 30 feet; its flowers and fruits are similar to the American elderberry. Both its unripe and ripe fruit, however, are unsafe to eat raw. When cooked, fruits and flowers of both types are safe to eat.
Elderberries In the Garden
In the home landscape, the elderberry is very adaptable to soil and site, growing well in almost any ground, in sun or partial shade. To plant, presoak roots, and while they are soaking, dig a hole deep enough to accommodate them. Water the hole, letting the water drain in, then spread out the roots with attached stems (trimmed back 8 to 12 inches) on a little mound of soil, fill in the hole with soil, tamp it down gently, then water.
Next, lay down a thick mulch in layers in a ring around the stems, taking care not to touch them: first a layer of paper or cardboard, then a top layer of straw or rotted sawdust. To maintain fertility, add a bushel of rotted compost or manure every spring at the bush’s drip line (where the branches extend), and your favorite source of 10-10-10 fertilizer.
