Elderberry

Elderberry Care

Sambucus

What is the plant

European Elder plants are also known as the Black Lace Sambucus or Black Elder.They are fast growing, low maintenance, multi-stemmed deciduous shrubs that will grow 8-20 feet tall with a spread of up to 8 feet.Clyde the Garden Gnome summer, followed by small black berries which provide food for many species of birds.The berries can be harvested and used for making elderberry wine or jam.Native Americans used the berries to make a lotion for treating skin infections.Sambucus plants are better known for their herbal uses than for their ornamental value,but the Black Lace Elder is well worth growing in your landscape. Sambucus leaves, bark, roots, and buds can be toxic to pets.

Elders have deeply veined, serrated foliage and produce large flat clusters of flowers in late spring to early. Invasive in Midwestern region.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

5a - 7b

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Elderberries need a lot of water, but as long as the roots have had a chance to anchor themselves, the shrub can handle periods of drought. The soil around an elderberry shrub should be moist, but not waterlogged.
Pruning
This shrub does tend to form a lot of suckers. This can be a beneficial characteristic if you're trying to populate a native garden inexpensively, for instance, but it can be annoying otherwise. It may even become invasive in some areas. You can make the shrubs into a standard (small tree) form by choosing and developing a central leader. Otherwise, it is usually a multi-trunked shrub.Plan on removing dead, damaged and diseased canes (flexible branches) at the start of spring. You should also remove canes that are over three years old since younger ones produce better and this pruning will encourage new growth. Pruning can also be used to make a shrub's appearance neater, as it can become a bit lanky.
Fertilizer
Before planting American elderberry shrubs, amend the soil with compost. Then, fertilize annually with additional compost in the springtime.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
Elderberry shrubs need full sun exposure to partial shade.
Soil
The American elderberry is a good choice if you have a location that tends to be moist or wet. That said, the site should also drain well to discourage root rot. Elderberry shrubs are able to handle a pH range from acidic to alkaline, but do best in slightly acidic soil.
Temperature
American elderberry shrubs' easygoing nature extends to temperature and humidity as well. While elderberries thrive in zones 3–11, they're deciduous through zone 8, and evergreen in zones 9–11, where there is no frost.

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Additional
Sambucus leaves, bark, roots, and buds can be toxic to pets.
Popularity
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