Learn about the elderberry shrub that’s making a comeback, and explore elderberry uses that include culinary, garden, and medicinal purposes.
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.
The American elderberry shrub (Sambucus canadensis) is a versatile and multi-functional plant that can provide an abundance of benefits when incorporated into home gardens and landscapes. From edible berries to ornamental flowers American elderberry offers homeowners a unique opportunity to grow a shrub that is not only beautiful but also extremely useful. In this article, we will explore the numerous advantages of cultivating American elderberry in your own backyard.
An Excellent Source of Nutritious Berries
One of the best reasons to grow American elderberry is for its crop of tasty, nutrient-dense berries. The dark purple drupes that ripen in late summer are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants In particular, elderberries contain high levels of vitamin C, fiber, iron, and anthocyanins. They have long been used in folk medicine to treat colds, flu, infections, and inflammation Modern research shows that elderberry really does have significant antiviral and immune-boosting effects. The berries can be eaten raw (when fully ripe) or cooked into jams, juices, pies, and other treats. Having your own elderberry shrubs ensures access to this superfood right in your backyard.
Attractive Flowers That Support Pollinators
In late spring to early summer, American elderberry bursts into bloom with beautiful clusters of tiny white flowers. These flat-topped clusters, called cymes, provide a bounty of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. By planting elderberry, you can increase the habitat available for these crucial garden allies. The flowers also make a lovely floral display in the landscape. Once established, a mature elderberry shrub may bloom for up to six weeks.
Versatile Landscaping Plant
With its ornamental qualities, modest size, and hardy nature, American elderberry is an excellent choice for many garden situations. It can be incorporated into perennial beds, used as an informal hedge or screen, or planted as a specimen shrub. American elderberry typically reaches 5-12 feet tall and wide at maturity, with an arching form, compound leaves, and coarse texture. The foliage provides nice contrast to finer-leaved plants. Red and yellow fall color is another bonus. Elderberry will grow well in full sun to partial shade and does not require very rich soil. It is tolerant of most conditions, including heat, drought, and humidity.
Windbreak and Privacy Screen
The dense, arching branches of American elderberry make it well suited for use as a windbreak hedge or privacy fence. Elderberry’s rapid growth allows it to quickly fill in an area. The shrubs can be planted in a tight row to create a living screen. They will grow together to form a thick barrier, providing shelter from wind while obscuring views. Pruning 2-3 times per year will maintain elderberry’s density and keep it contained within its bounds. For privacy or separation between two yards, a row of elderberries is an attractive green alternative to a wooden fence.
Food and Habitat for Wildlife
Birds adore elderberry, flocking to feast on the ripe fruit in late summer. At least 50 species are known to consume elderberries, including cardinals, bluebirds, waxwings, thrushes, and finches. The berries are also eaten by chipmunks, raccoons, opossums, and other backyard wildlife. Planting elderberries provides these creatures with an excellent source of food and nutrients to help them thrive. The dense growth also makes excellent shelter and nesting sites for birds. By inviting wildlife into your garden, you can enjoy watching the animals that elderberry attracts.
Easy to Grow and Propagate
Another perk of American elderberry is that it requires very little work to grow and shares its bounty freely. Once established, elderberry is low-maintenance and quite drought tolerant. It will grow in a variety of soil types, in sun to part shade. Little to no fertilization or pruning is required. Elderberry also propagates readily from cuttings, allowing you to easily make new plants from existing ones. You can dig and divide the spreading roots as well. This makes it simple to expand your elderberry patch. Share the wealth by giving cuttings and divisions to gardening friends and family!
Beneficial Uses for Other Parts of the Plant
While elderberry is best known for its berries, other parts of the plant have been used for centuries as food, medicine and crafts. The flower clusters can be soaked in batter and fried for fritters. Tea can be made from the dried flowers and leaves. Hollow stems have long been fashioned into whistles and flutes. With abundant elderberry in your garden, you’ll have this versatile plant right at your fingertips.
Helps Stabilize Soil
Elderberry’s extensive root system makes it a great choice for planting on slopes, gullies, streambanks, and other areas prone to erosion. The dense mat of lateral roots near the surface stabilizes and holds the soil. Elderberry also tolerates wet soil quite well. Strategically planting elderberries can help control runoff and sedimentation issues.
Provides Privacy and Shelter in Urban Gardens
For city gardeners with small yards, fast growing American elderberry is ideal for adding privacy and shelter in tight spaces. Tucked into a corner, 1-2 elderberry shrubs will quickly grow together to obstruct views and dampen noise. The arching branches and compound leaves provide a living curtain of greenery that masks unsightly walls, fences, or neighbors. Elderberry also protects urban gardens from wind while attracting pollinators and songbirds.
Adaptable to Rural Gardens and Farms
American elderberry is also a great fit for larger rural gardens, hobby farms, and homesteads. When planted densely in rows or blocks, elderberries can serve as a windbreak to protect livestock, gardens, and buildings. The hardy shrubs require minimal care once established, thriving with natural rainfall and nutrition. And they give back by feeding humans as well as wildlife. Rural gardeners will appreciate elderberry’s diverse usefulness.
Forage and Food Crop for Homesteaders
For the self-sufficient gardener, American elderberry is almost a must-have plant. It is simple to grow and propagate, productive, and provides edible flowers, leaves, and superfood berries that can be eaten fresh or preserved. Teas, syrups, jams, juices and other products can be made. The huge amounts of fruit from mature shrubs provide abundant harvests to stock your pantry. And unlike most fruit, little maintenance is needed to earn the reward of elderberry’s sweet delicious berries.
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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.
Stems (also called “canes”) are short-lived but renew themselves by sending up fresh shoots. In late winter or early spring, cut out old looking stems, as well as those that are dead. The most prolific fruit is born on 1-3-year old stems; 6-8 stems are enough for each plant. Pruning will not only allow sun into the center of the shrub, but will help to give it an attractive, vase-like form. An overgrown or poor producing plant can be renewed by cutting it back to the ground to stimulate fresh shoots. Elderberries are partially self-fruitful but benefit from having another variety close by, although we have not found it necessary.
An elderberry hedge is incomparable in bloom and an asset all season, as it was on our Cape Breton farm. In our new gardens they grow as striking accents, single specimens in the landscape, or in a mixed shrub border. One of the great benefits of planting elderberries close to your back (or front) door is being able to observe swallow-tailed butterflies alighting on the giant flower clusters.
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.
Health Benefits Of Elderberry AND How To Grow The BEST Elderberry Bushes!
FAQ
What is an elderberry shrub good for?
Does elderberry repel bugs?
What not to plant with elderberry?
How did Native Americans use elderberry?
Is elderberry a good plant?
Elderberry is an attractive plant that produces showy flowers, showy berries, and plenty of foliage to keep your landscape interesting and full of birds and pollinators from spring through fall. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for elderberry shrubs!
What is American elderberry good for?
American elderberry is also an excellent choice for naturalizing woodland and home landscapes. Its ability to thrive in a range of soil types and light conditions make it a versatile addition to any garden. In streams and thickets, the Elder helps to prevent soil erosion and provides a natural barrier against flooding.
Is elderberry a good supplement?
As research continues on whether elderberry is a beneficial supplement, the rewards of this valuable native plant can be found in your garden and your kitchen. Elderberry, Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub growing to a maximum height and width of 12 feet.
What is American elderberry?
One of my favorite ways to do this is by foraging for wild edibles, and one plant that I always keep an eye out for is the American elderberry, also known as Sambucus canadensis. This native plant is abundant in many parts of North America and has been used for centuries for its medicinal and culinary properties.