elderberries.com

60 responses so far ↓

• 1 Sarah // Mar 13, 2008 at 1:39 pm

  Are elderberries the same things as currents?

• 2 Amy // Mar 13, 2008 at 2:10 pm

  Nope, elderberries are different. Elderberries are the genus Sambucus, while currants are the genus Ribes. They’re both dark berries that grow on bushes, but not the same thing. I think currants are actually closer to gooseberries in family than they are to elderberries.

• 3 Becky // Mar 24, 2008 at 6:19 am

  I bought two elderberry shrubs and planted them about 5′ apart. One was planted in 2006, the 2nd in 2007. Both plants are doing well. However, neither has yet to produce fruit except for the berries that followed the flowers on the plant at the time of purchase. Do elderberries have sexes? Do I need different varieties? Do they need to grow bigger before bearing fruit? How can I get them to bear? Thanks.

• 4 Amy // Mar 28, 2008 at 2:15 pm

  It’s best to have different varieties of the same type - for example, two varieties of Sambucus canadensis, or Sambucus nigra, for best pollenization. Adams and York are said to be two varieties that will do well together, or York and Nova. The branches that should bear the best (and most) fruit are the ones in their second year, but they can bloom in the their first three years, and as long as the plant’s mature and healthy, I don’t think their size should have an effect on how well they produce. Are you fertilizing them well?

• 5 Rob // Apr 17, 2008 at 12:06 pm

  So, to follow up on the previous question… do you NEED 2 bushes in order to get fruit or will one bush, by itself bear fruit?

  TIA
  -Rob

• 6 K // Apr 24, 2008 at 11:08 am

  I planted 2 Elderberry bushes last spring, one is doing well, and the other snapped off at the stem about 3-4 inches from the ground. Will this regrow or is it done for? Any advise would be great.

• 7 Char // May 13, 2008 at 11:50 am

  OK, so I didn’t get the answer to Rob’s question. Do you need two bushes?
  Also, my property is very shaded from Oak trees. Will the Elderberry bush so OK with a lot of Oak trees, or do I need to plant in an “organic garden soil” type?

• 8 Ulrich Young // May 13, 2008 at 6:54 pm

  I have over 750 ft of elderberries with the varieties States, Adams and John’s. The plants started making berries the next summer after planting and got better as root system got grew. I do think that bee s are important for good pollination. I noticed a real increase in fruit set last summer after placing 2 bee hives at farm.

  Char, In eastern oklahoma, the common elderberry does very well in partially open oak timber as long as soil is good, just be sure to fertilize for good production.
  K, relax it will come back if roots are well established.

• 9 K // May 21, 2008 at 12:14 pm

  Ulrich, thanks, actually since I left the message, I decided to tape the break,( it wans’t broke all the way thru) and it is doing wonderful, but thank you for your response!

• 10 bob // May 26, 2008 at 12:18 pm

  “They are nearly self-unfruitful, so plant two different cultivars within 60 feet of each other to provide adequate cross-pollination.” quoted from “choosing cultivars”, above.

• 11 Char // May 27, 2008 at 5:02 pm

  Ulrich, thanks for the response.

• 12 NJohn // Jun 10, 2008 at 4:17 am

  I have to many elderberries and would really like to clear some out. how do I do this without causing damage to the others, they have been allowed to grow wild and are now as close as 1 foot apart.

• 13 Mike // Jun 11, 2008 at 7:17 pm

  Help! All of our elderberry bushes were stripped of their leaves last year. Something ate every last leaf. This year, there were only a few leaves but they too were eaten this year. Can anyone help?

  Thanks

• 14 Darlene Norton // Jun 19, 2008 at 5:01 pm

  I planted an elderberry bush early this spring and it has been growing well, it has small white things, flowers ? Now one of the shoots is wilted and the leaves are yellowing, I just noticed some more yellow leaves now on the other stalks, I water it daily since I live in N az and it is dry here now and hot. I fertilzed it a week ago with Miracle grow plant food for trees and bushes. What am I doing wrong and how do I save this plant ???
  Thanks
  Darlene

• 15 Deborah Daily // Jul 4, 2008 at 4:57 am

  Hi Darlene,
  from the symptoms you describe and the care you have been lavishing on your plant, it sounds as though you may be overwatering it. I would back off on the daily watering, talk to a local nursery for watering tips for your area for this plant and see how things go from there. I know that the wild Elderberry bushes here in California are happiest on a dry, well drained, sunny hillside in full sun with little or no summer irrigation.

• 16 Pat // Jul 7, 2008 at 11:55 am

  Can I propagate elderberry?

• 17 Howard Parker // Jul 7, 2008 at 6:59 pm

  I moved my elderberry plant to a new location. After two years it had a lot of berries on it. The next year it grew very tall and had tons of pre-berries. Then al the leaves started to fall off of the branches abd stems … and no berries. This year it looks like it is doing this again. I am planning to stop at Cornel Farm and Home center in Lockport to find out what is wrong.

• 18 Missanne // Jul 7, 2008 at 9:15 pm

  I live in middle california, inland of the coast and have had an elderberry ‘tree’ for most of my life. Once or twice it’s actually been cut back severly as someone planted it so close to the house it actually roots under the open deck and worms it’s way through the supports.

  My question is, if elderberries don’t self-fruit, what is polinating this thing? No one but no one has another anywhere near here. Also, how can I identify what sort of elderberry it is since it doesn’t follow the usual shrubbery nor berry descriptions. BTW, this is definately elderberry.. we’ve used it’s berries for years.

• 19 Kingsley // Jul 13, 2008 at 1:08 pm

  I have an elderberry (sambucus nigra gerda) in its second summer here in Boston, and its thriving, but most of the growth is horizontal - its now about 5′ in diameter but less than 24″ high. Can I train the branches to grow vertically? (I was thinking of transplanting but I don’t have a large enough area that gets enough sun). thanks

• 20 Viki // Jul 21, 2008 at 11:56 am

  I too have an elderberry that is loaded with berries and the closest elderberries are at least 1/4 mile away. Also the berries are not black or blue but kinda deep burgundy are these still edible? I live in the deep south and understand that the red elderberry only grows up north. I want use these berries to make pies and syrup if they are safe.

• 21 ella // Aug 5, 2008 at 12:33 am

  Can a virus sickness on an elderberry bush remain in the soil or root-bits, even after the bush is removed? I live near Stockholm. My elderberry bush has had crumpled, pointy looking leaves on the new shoots for 3 years. I have tried to remove all sick looking leaves every year but this virus sickness persists. Because the diseased leaves are always on the new shoots, I then get no flowers. I have recently learned that this is a virus sickness and therefore removed the bush, roots and all. BUT - 3 of the most djup going roots broke off at about 40cm depth . Is it possible that these “root left-overs” can be contagious to something else, which I plant in the same place. Can I plant a magnolia there without it being contaminated with the sane virus? I am grateful for your answer. Thankyou.
  Ella

• 22 Kim // Aug 6, 2008 at 7:16 am

  I planted a Nova and a York this spring, put cages around them so the deer would not be able to get to them this time and so far they are doing AWESOME! We are in Western WI and about 10 years ago we planted 2 elderberry bushes on the back property line and they lasted about a year before the deer took care of them for us. I am confused about the berries not being edible…and what are ‘pre-berries’?? I throughly enjoy Elderberry Jelly and am really looking forward to our bushes producing. Any insight would be much appreciated!

  Thanks!

• 23 Christine Donovan // Sep 1, 2008 at 9:46 am

  I keep reading about how elderberries need another elderberry for fertilization…but my research has uncovered that the elderberry is hermaphroditic…its has male & female parts….what it requires is pollinatino of itself by bees, insects. So what is with this …you must have TWO? That is incorrect. Sorry but you can take it up with the botanists then.

• 24 Shelly // Sep 2, 2008 at 6:25 pm

  I want to harvest seed from elder, plant it this spring, and grow viable plants. Have you ever done this, and do you have some advice on how to do it?

• 25 anton // Sep 15, 2008 at 6:17 am

  Hi, I live in England and have just sewn some dried elderberries in some compost. Am I wasting my time or is there a chance they might grow? Do I need to give them special treatment from right now or wait until something happens then follow your instructions on this site? Your advice (or anyone’s) please.

• 26 David Thursfield // Sep 19, 2008 at 1:07 pm

  I make wine from the dozen or so elderberry bushes growing ‘naturally’ in the hedgerow on my land. Due to poor vigour, I cut half back to the main trunk last year. Vigour has returned but no berries. I hope the second year wood will produce again. If so I will prune the second half dozen. I found the contributions both informative and most interesting. Thank you to all contributors.

• 27 CY // Sep 21, 2008 at 3:30 pm

  How can you tell when elderberries are actually ripe and ready to be picked?

• 28 Jamie // Sep 24, 2008 at 9:48 am

  I live at high altitude and have a very short summer. can these be grown indoors or would it have to be in a greenhouse?

• 29 heather // Sep 28, 2008 at 8:09 pm

  Elderberries are ready to be picked when they are, or almost black.

• 30 Sue // Oct 2, 2008 at 1:27 pm

  When each cluster of berries hangs downwards , then they’re full and juicy and ready to be picked - and enjoyed. Here in Cumbria UK we’ve just made our elderberry cordial from the hedgerows for the winter.

• 31 Jacqueline // Oct 11, 2008 at 3:38 pm

  Question: Do Elder trees loose their leaves in winter?

• 32 Harry // Oct 21, 2008 at 1:00 pm

  How much sun do Elderberrys need

• 33 lara // Nov 9, 2008 at 7:24 am

  I’ve just gotten a lovely elderberry plant from a local nursery. The wise woman founder advised me thus: “To propagate the elder, take a cutting from the plant when the stem is brown. New tender growth will not do well as a cutting, and one can avoid this by leaving the greenish top-most stems to grow another year. Also, no rooting hormone is needed. Simply be sure to take a cutting in the dormant, non-flowering season because the plant will otherwise be giving all of its energy to the blossoms. Also, remember to have one stem node under ground (roots) and one node above ground (leaves). They will grow in simple sand.” I was so excited about this knowledge- I had never known how easy it was to cultivate these amazing plants! And did you know that research indicates that elderberries actually cure flu?

  Please, though- if anyone knows anything about cultivation from seed, I’d love to try that too.

  Thanks!

• 34 Mike Barkley // Nov 21, 2008 at 7:46 pm

  What & where is the largest commercial elderberry operation?
  Thanks in advance.

• 35 Mary // Jan 1, 2009 at 2:06 pm

  I have 3 year-old elderberry plants (sorry I don’t know the genus). They really produced nicely the last 2 years. I have a real problem with stinkbugs covering them. I try to dust for them, but I want to know if they are harmful the the plants. They are almost always on the berry/bloom pods. Are they there to eat the berries? If I need to get rid of them, what should I use? Thanks so much for any help you can give!

• 36 Myrna // Jan 27, 2009 at 7:29 pm

  I have several elderberry bushes, all the same variety because they are all ofspring of my first bush.
  This was the first year they produced berries. I didn’t know they were edible (cooked) so didn’t use them. They are very easy to propagate by digging and replanting suckers. I’m more concerned about them becoming a weed, and this is in northern Minnesota. zone 3. I don’t know if it is a cultivated type, so I have ordered a Johns and an Adams to hopefully get larger fruit.

• 37 Myrna // Jan 27, 2009 at 7:31 pm

  Please correct my spelling on offspring.

• 38 denver whitaker // Feb 14, 2009 at 12:56 am

  i was raised in wva i ate ripe uncooked eldreberrys for years dont know if what you call elderberrys are the same thing
  i picked and ate are the same thing or not
  they grew wild all over berrys looked the same as pictures in nursey catalogs although wild they sure propagated a lot of fruit.i am 52 and was shown these plants by my parrents and grand parrents they sure tasted good and i never got sick from eating them????? no matter how many i ate… and i ate a lot???

• 39 John // Feb 16, 2009 at 6:42 pm

  Here in northeast Pa. elderberries grow wild. Just about every wet spot there seems to be some growing. The bird seem to spread them and I was told that the seeds must pass through a birds digestive tract to sprout. I put seeds into the compost pile from making wine and never had any grow. There is some evidence that elderberries help to prevent and cure colds however it seems that cooking them seems to lessens its affects. They make very good wine , jelly and syrup. A friend and I made wine and I drink a glass full every time that I think I am getting a cold it has kept me from getting colds even when other people around me are very sick.
  Elderberries are finicky some times they produce an abundance of berries then other times they don’t. They like very acid damp soil. I would not fertilize them with anything but compost. Elder- berries are self fertile but more plants will help out producing berries. Insects aids in pollination. To prune cut back oldest canes and burn them. They may contain borers. If you have a lot of plants just cut the whole bunch back to the ground in the fall after they go dormant. The Flowers are produced on last years growth in June around here. That is when I look for them and note locations of a good patches. Flowers doesn’t mean berries. The plants sometimes drop the unripe berries (pre berries). The shield or stink bugs don’t really harm them but make the berries stink. You can spray the bushes with a spray containing Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) to control caterpillar infestation. They eat the leaves. Be careful not to spray plants that butterflies may inhabit because it will kill their larva. It is safe for bees . Borers bore into the stems and cause wilting of the plant. The berries get ripe around here in August. To harvest the berries I cut the fronds of berries off and drop into a basket. You must wait until the berries are all ripe. They ripen from the outside toward the center. They are ripe when a very gentle squeeze produces free flowing juice or the birds are gobbling them up. After I have them in the basket I let them sit so the bugs can crawl out. A few hours and they will be up on the rim of the basket. I then put them into a tray and freeze them on the stem. I gently roll the berries off and guess what no purple hands and they come off the stems a lot easier. I never allow the stems into the berries when I am processing them it makes the juice bitter. I return the berries to freezer and thaw them when I need them. The juice comes out easier. I try to get the seeds out because they have a green coating on them that will make wine or jam bitter. When making wine I noticed that there is a green slime on the sides of the fermenting vessel that is very hard to remove.

• 40 Linda // Feb 17, 2009 at 7:59 am

  I live in central florida,,will elderbery’s grow here??

• 41 -betsy // Feb 27, 2009 at 4:15 pm

  Hello Elderberry fans,
  I now live in southwest PA, but I’ve lived just outside of Munich (Germany) since 1991. There, we make jams, jellies, compotes, and syrups from the elderBERRIES, and syrup from the elderFLOWERS. The European elder is the Sambucus nigra; in German, it is referred to as a “bush”, though I had a tree-sized one in the backyard when the kids were growing up, and they grow wild in the area, sometimes over 10 meters.
  The British have a saying “Summer begins when the Elder flowers, and ends when the Elder fruits”. Yes. The European elder produces flowers laden (hopefully) with pollen, and we always hope that the rains don’t wash the pollen away before we pick the flower clusters. For the flowers, the pollen carries the flavour. My husband makes a simple syrup (even sugar/H2O), immerses the clusters to cover in an large pot, covers it, and sits this in the sun for about a week. He then strains the mix, brings it to the boil, adds lemon juice, and cools it. He now has Elderflower syrup, to be used as Cassis when making cocktails (or, we mix it with mineral water for the kids). The ladies of the neighborhood will shake the bugs out of the clusters, then dip them (the clusters, not the bugs) in a beer batter and fry them - heaven! This is usually around Memorial Day - end of May, beginning of June. I’ve walked through the Olympia Park when the flowers peaked, and the aroma was truly heady.
  The “bushes” fruit around the middle of September. It always happened that the berries would be delivered to us on the second Monday; as the kids went back to school the following day, we were busy cooking them (the berries, not the kids): the ripe fruit quickly ferments (like rosehips). A deep purple, the berries stain everything (the Italians use the juice to dye wool). The european berries are VERY high in enzymes, which makes them “inedible” until they are worked - either juiced or cooked, to break the cell walls, where they become more digestible (as in pure juice). One year I was greeted by my second-grade son, who gleefully told me that there were “purple spots” in the backyard. He and our Russian aupair had picked the berries in the back, eaten them, and both had become violently ill. But only until the berries were expelled (he, of course, proudly pointed out which spot belonged to whom).
  I came to the US in 2002, and would walk in our county park daily. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when I found that the Sambucus planted there are ornamental, producing no pollen. They do produce berries, but only for the birds. I have eaten elderberries from a friend’s backyard, raw, but they just don’t have the “punch”.
  Similar to bay. European bay is different than American bay.
  Hope this helps!

• 42 Joe Wilson // Mar 30, 2009 at 11:15 pm

  Ulrich Young made a posting May 13, 2008, says he has 750′ of bushes. I would like to know how old the plants are? What state are you located? What has been your production? How do you process? What products are you making, how are you marketing, etc?

  I am planting 750 plantings this spring in Missouri. I have a friend that has a few acres and is selling the juice for its health benefits. He is doing well with the crop and would like to get enough acres in production (100+) to build a juice plant and go commercial.

  Any thoughts are welcome.

• 43 Kathy // Apr 2, 2009 at 3:12 pm

  I planted my elderberries last Spring and by fall I had a few flowers, no berries.
  Now they look dormant, no leaves just sticks, I have not seen any new suckers and will have to go out and check. Should I prune these main stems down or let them be? Thanks

• 44 Lynn // Apr 8, 2009 at 2:52 pm

  I am very interested in starting a large group of bushes.. I have/had one super big one in my back yard but it has died.

  When and how can I use it new small growth to re plant…

  Or where can I buy a large amount of plants.. say around 50 plants to start..

  any and all info welcome.. on elderberry plants and how to’s

• 45 Billy Ray // Apr 9, 2009 at 11:33 pm

  We can fix you you with the best plants on the market. we also do custom planting of elderberries. let me know if we can help you.

• 46 briana // Apr 14, 2009 at 3:15 pm

  hey im briana im native american and i eat elder berries all the time there soo deliciouse lol my grandmother is sick and are family makes it as medicine becouse her grandparents were medicine ppl

• 47 Sue // May 4, 2009 at 9:43 pm

  Lynn, I bought my elderberries super cheap on ebay. When I got them, the roots were about a foot long, but only about two leaves. I planted them anyways. Wouldn’t you know they were almost 4′ tall at the end of the year? They thrive well. The cows on the other side of the fence then ate them right before the frost. Then we moved, and we dug these dead looking twigs up and brought them with us. At first when thaw came, I thought we lost them all, but soon enough, each one had not only come back from the roots and spread out as well, but also the ones that still had stems from the previous year are branching out from there as well. It’s pretty hard to kill an elderberry. I had even at one point in time noticed them all looking wilty and overwatered, yet they recovered (this was last year, their first year).

  I hear a lot of different thoughts on the inedibleness of these berries though. most people say that the roots/stems/leaves are all poisonous. Green berries (before they ripen) will make you sick. Ripe berries will make some people sick prior to cooking…but cooking removes the compound that makes those people sick. If your elderberry makes red berries, I hear that those ones are poisonous no matter what!

  Joh, I love your tips on how to remove the berries without stains. It hadn’t occurred to me that these dark berries would stain…I just never thought about it…and now I realize of course they would…I will take care fore sure! I plan on doing just what you did. Also, a good storage idea, just freeze them until you need them. Thank you everybody for your tips!

  Briana, it is well-known that native americans use parts of this plants medicinally…however, to anybody else viewing this, please do NOT try this at home! It is a well-known fact that this plant is poisonous (except for the ripe berries and flowers). This was found out when years ago some children were using the stems as pea shooters (I imagine because it’s very “styrofoamy” inside the stem and probably easy to hollow out)…the kids died when some compounds in the stem turned to cyanide! Although the plant itself doesn’t have cyanide, it does have the compounds that can turn into cyanide in the human body. This is definetely a plant that I will tell my children not to play with. I will cook the fruit for my children, but they will not be allowed to play in those bushes.

• 48 pete // May 17, 2009 at 8:45 pm

  I purchased 20 bare root elderberry plants three weeks ago. I was in the orchard tonight, and am a little concerned. only about half of the plant are just beginning to bud. is this normal? We are having a fairly cool spring here in Iowa, hopefully they will pep up with some warmer weather. I have harvested wild elderberries for years, usually making about 50 gallons of sweet wine. I figure the tame berries will pile up better. How many pounds can I expect per cane? Thank you for any info.

• 49 pete // May 17, 2009 at 8:51 pm

  p.s. When picking from wild patches I always taste berries from each one. If they taste bitter, I move on. If they taste sweet, I put’em in the mash. I,ve never noticed any ill effects!!

• 50 Jim MIller // Jun 15, 2009 at 6:07 pm

  I have 3 elderberry bushes that have given me no problems and have given berries is abundance for 10+ I am having problems with a pest, and do not know what it is or how to handle them? I have picture of it. If you can help I would be happy to send the pics I took from my pic phone. I already have them on the computer!! Thanks!

• 51 june // Jun 20, 2009 at 2:54 pm

  Elderberry plants, stems, and leaves are indead poisonous. However the berries when ripe are not. I do not know about the red berries, but I live in PA and the dark purple nearly black ones grow wild. My brothers, sisters,cousins and friends have eaten these raw as well as cooked in pies and jellies all our lives we are all doing fine

• 52 geri // Jun 21, 2009 at 8:30 pm

  Hi We have some elderberry bushes that are 3 years old, flower and produce fruit. On several plants several of the new branches have thick, orange curly-cue swellings that are covered with an orange powder like pollen. When I break one open it just looks like juicy pulp (this happens on the new growth only). Can anyone tell me what this might be? Thanks much!

• 53 Rick // Jun 22, 2009 at 5:42 am

  Just had to comment on what Sue said about pea shooters made from elderberry stems killing children. When I was a child my dad made whistles from the stems and we never got sick from them, not saying you should try it. I also ate the elderberries raw and never got sick.

• 54 sheila // Jul 8, 2009 at 3:32 am

  I THINK I have elderberries….isn’t it too early? They are dark, and for the most part, are in clusters….certainly seems like they are….we planted them…and for the life of me…I cannot get past the fact that I didnt save any tag to identify…The berries taste a bit like onion?…..do I have to cook them? They appear ripe….so does the ripe berry taste bad?? Reading the comments, I find it hard to think of eating alot of these berries raw…onion flavored and all>>… they are doing great, so hate to let them waste….but if anyone thinks that I indeed have elderberries….and can confirm that they taste like this, let me know….ok? thanks!!

• 55 mike lees // Jul 12, 2009 at 11:17 pm

  Is it necessary to cook red elderberries before making a vodka tincture?

• 56 anne // Jul 30, 2009 at 1:06 pm

  I have three elderberry bushes and something is killing them! They are second year plants, though transplanted to their present site this year. They were doing great and I was so pleased to see them flowering and thriving. Then one day one had a limp branch/leaves. Within a week it had completely wilted and now looks totally dead. No insect marks, nothing. Now a second one is wilting. I don’t know what’s going on. I did great ammendments to the soil and we’ve had a wet summer but it’s well drained soil. Help! I hate to lose them and not to understand what is going on.

• 57 John // Aug 1, 2009 at 2:07 am

  Can anyone tell me if these will grow in N.Z. as we are veryinterested in trying them for the oil Thanks your help

• 58 Sylvia // Aug 1, 2009 at 9:21 pm

  I live in Ontario Canada and my elders grow like crazy but every year I get florets but no flowers and hence no fruit. I looks like some pest infestation. It does not affect the foliage. What the heck is it and how do I get rid of the little buggers.
  It looks like they just dry out and shrivel up.

• 59 tom routh // Aug 2, 2009 at 8:16 pm

  I have started making elderberry wine using bananas,oranges,grape concentrate. To remove the sticky substance that John referred to , use vegetable oil, then follow up with soap and water. Elderberry grow profusely here in eastern Kansas along road ditches,and it’s a shame when the road crews mow them off.Like your forum.

• 60 Flo // Aug 23, 2009 at 2:43 pm

  This spring I made cuttings from green shoots from my black elderberry, (rooting hormone and a pot of damp soil) at first they were wilty so snapped off extra lower leaves, but they survived my guesswork and have been doing wonderfully in their pots all summer, my question is this: should I transplant them now (Approaching September in Vermont) or winter them over (How?) to plant in the spring? thanks in advance!

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