Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) growing in a community garden in Charlottesville, VA
Lately I have been on a kick, learning about how many great plants we have in Virginia. I especially appreciate ones that are not only native, but also ornamental, edible and/or medicinal. (This designation includes birds, any other pollinators and myself. This leads me to elderberry, a perfect plant for summertime.
Listening to my elders
I have several bushes of it in my yard. I also tend an allée of them at a garden that I manage in town. The best thing about this plant? Well, there are many great things, really! However, one of my favorites is they drop berries and make NEW elderberry plants. This means there are always plenty to go around.
But, are they “aggressive natives”?
If you don’t judiciously weed them, they can be. But, elderberries are easy to grow from saplings that show up underneath the plant. You can grow them from cuttings. They’re very happy to root if you make cuttings In the spring before they leaf out.
They are also full of beautiful cream-colored blossoms in June. They make berries that are usually ready for picking in August or September, depending on which zone you are in (8,7,6?) in Virginia.
But what are they “good for”?
A better question might be: “what aren’t they good for?” Elderberries are good for syrup, for medicinal purposes and if you use it just a little bit, you can also just put the syrup on pancakes. Don’t do what a student in one of my classes did and drink a whole pint of it. He was okay, but… best avoiding that, unless you want diarrhea and nausea! Not really fun.
The best thing are plants like Sambucus canadensis if you’re trying to be healthy. Birds love it, I love it. It makes great hedge. It makes a great focal point in your garden.
There’s not much to see of it in the winter. It provides great interest in the summer. In the fall, the berries are really beautiful. You can train it (like we’ve done in an urban setting), into an allée. Or, use it as a specimen shrub.
Be sure to harvest all the berries, or you WILL have myriad volunteers pop up. I like having plants to give away. However, not everyone appreciates the zeal with which elderberries propagate themselves.
Elderberry is a perfect plant for summertime
It will grow about 6ft wide to 10ft high in most environments. There are ornamental cultivars. But a straight-run Sambuca canadensis is the one that is great for pollinators AND people in Virginia.
This is the recipe I like best (minus the cinnamon) for syrup. Thank you to Happy Healthy Mama. And, happy growing!