Elderflower / Elderberry

Category: medicinal-herbs

Growing

  • 📍 Zone: 3-9
  • 🌞 Sun: Full sun to partial shade
  • 💧 Water: Moderate; prefers consistently moist soil but tolerates some drought once established
  • 🌱 Soil: Rich, well-drained soil with good organic content; tolerates clay and sandy soils

Planting

  • 📏 Height: 5-12 feet (can grow larger as a shrub or small tree)
  • 📏 Spacing: 6-10 feet between plants
  • 📅 When To Plant: Spring or fall
  • 🌱 Propagation: Softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, or seeds (cuttings are most reliable)
  • ⬇️ Depth: Plant at the same depth as in the nursery pot; cover seeds lightly (~1/8 inch)
  • 🤝 Companion:
    • 0: Yarrow
    • 1: Bee balm
    • 2: Comfrey
  • 🚫 Avoid Planting Near:

    Care & Maintenance

    • ✂️ Pruning: Prune in late winter or early spring to remove dead or damaged wood and encourage new growth; thin older stems for better air circulation
    • 🪢 Staking Or Support: Not typically needed; elder grows as a sturdy shrub
    • ❄️ Overwintering: Hardy in its zones; mulch young plants in colder regions for added protection

    Harvesting & Usage

    • ⏰ When To Harvest: Flowers in late spring or early summer when fully open; berries in late summer to early fall when fully ripe and dark purple/black
    • ✋ How To Harvest: Snip flower heads gently; cut berry clusters and strip berries off at home
    • 🥫 Preservation: Dry flowers for tea or cordials; freeze or dry berries or use them fresh in recipes
    • ⚠️ Edible Or Toxic: Flowers and cooked berries are safe; raw berries can cause nausea and digestive upset; stems, leaves, bark, and roots are toxic due to cyanogenic glycosides
    • 🍴 Culinary: Flowers used in cordials, syrups, fritters, and teas; berries used (cooked) in syrups, jams, jellies, wine, pies
    • 💊 Medicinal: Flowers: used in teas for colds, fevers, and sinus relief; berries: antioxidant-rich, supports immune health, used in syrups for colds and flu; traditional use for inflammation and as a diuretic
    • 🌸 Aromatic: Flowers have a sweet, honey-like fragrance; berries have a subtle fruity aroma when cooked

    Ecological Info

    • 🐝 Pollinators:
      • 0: Bees
      • 1: Butterflies
      • 2: Hoverflies
    • 🦌 Wildlife Resistance: Not highly deer-resistant; birds are attracted to the berries