The dark purple, almost black edible berries ripen in the late summer or early fall.
Packed with antioxidants, elderberries are considered a superfood.
They are best planted in the spring.
The Spruce / David Karoki
The soil should be naturally moist.
A location alongside a creek or pond or in a rain garden is ideal.
For multiple rows, plan on 10 feet between each row.
The Spruce / David Karoki
They don’t need support.
Light
Elderberries prefer full sunlight, which will result in the most flowers and berries.
If you are not growing them for flowers or berries, partial shade is fine.
The Spruce / David Karoki
The plants need moisture and won’t grow well in sandy soil that does not retain moisture.
The plants tolerate temporary flooding for a day or two but no more.
Established shrubs should need about 1 inch of water per week and should be watered during dry spells.
The Spruce / David Karoki
Applying 2 to 3 inches ofmulcharound the plants helps the soil retain moisture.
The ideal temperature range for elderberries is between 65 and 80F.
Climates with mild winters and weltering hot summers are not suitable for growing elderberrries.
The Spruce / David Karoki
Fertilizer
Do not fertilize your elderberry at planting time.
After its first year, apply anall-purpose balanced fertilizerin the early spring.
Pollination
Elderberries are typically wind-pollinated.
Nurseries that sell elderberries usually specify which varieties they recommend for cross-pollination.
Popular American Elderberry Varieties
Harvesting Elderberries
Elderberries ripen in late summer or early fall.
Wait until they are rich, dark purple, almost black, and slightly soft.
Unripe as well as ripe, raw elderberries are toxic.
Using sharp pruners, cut the entire umbel off the plant.
When preparing them for cooking, check that you fully remove the stems.
Harvest the flowers once the entire cluster has opened and pick them on a sunny, dry day.
Simply snip off the entire umbel and process them promptly, as they wilt fast.
Pruning
After the shrub is about two years old, it will need pruning.
Do this in late winter to early spring while the plant is dormant.
Remove any dead canes and cut older canes to about one foot in height.
The shrubs also producesuckers and runners.
Use a rich potting soil and mulch the surface with compost and water frequently so it never dries out.
Protect the container with an insulating material or build an insulating silo around it.
Elderberry shrubs may also contract canker,leaf spot, andpowdery mildew.
The berries are toxic to humans.
Elderberry is a deciduous, perennial shrub that takes two to three years to start fruiting.
Elderberry is often called a shrub or small tree.
North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
