How to Grow Elderberry Plants: 5 Popular Elderberry Varieties

Elderberries are the small, dark purple or black berries of the elderberry bush. Elderberry bushes are green and leafy deciduous shrubs, blooming abundantly in late spring and early summer with white flowers. They are especially popular with pollinators, including birds and bees.

Cooked elderberries are a popular ingredient in pies and other baked goods, jams and jellies, wine, cordials, elderberry syrup, and tea. While ripe elderberry fruit and flowers are edible once cooked, most other parts of the elderberry shrub are predominantly toxic—including unripe or raw berries, leaves, stems, and roots—and can cause nausea if consumed.

There are many different varieties of elderberry available on the market:

1. 1. American elderberry: A native plant in North America, American or common elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), has small, tart, dark-colored berries and grows to a height of up to 12 feet. The plant is cold hardy, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9, depending on the cultivar. Cultivars include ‘Adams Number 1,’ ‘Johns,’ ‘Nova,’ and ‘York.’ Learn about planting zones in our complete guide.
2. 2. Blue elderberry: Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) is the largest elderberry species, growing up to 30 feet tall and often mistaken for a fruit tree. It thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9.
3. 3. Dwarf elderberry: Dwarf elderberry (Sambucus ebulus) is the smallest of the elderberry varieties, growing only up to two feet tall and mainly producing toxic berries. It thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8.
4. 4. European elderberry: The European or black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is often called an elderberry tree, growing up to 20 feet tall, with large, sweet, dark purple berries. It is less hardy than other elderberry species, growing best in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8. Cultivars include ‘Black Beauty’ and ‘Black Lace.’
5. 5. Red elderberry: Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) produces vibrant red berries that are generally toxic to humans, making red elderberry a popular choice for ornamental shrubbery. It has the highest cold tolerance of any elderberry species, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7.

Plant elderberry bushes in the spring after the last threat of frost (alternatively, you can plant them in the fall, giving them enough time to establish roots before winter). Once you’re ready to plant your elderberry bushes:

1. 1. Choose the planting site: Most elderberry bushes prefer full sun, so choose a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. However, certain elderberry bushes prefer partial shade, so research your cultivar before selecting a site.
2. 2. Prepare the soil: Opt for well-draining soil rich in organic matter and slightly more acidic than traditional soil, with a soil pH of around 5.5 or 6.5 for best growth and berry production. If your soil is too alkaline, you can increase the acidity by incorporating peat moss, aluminum sulfate, organic matter like compost, and even pine needles directly into the planting site.
3. 3. Plant the bushes: To plant elderberry seedlings, dig holes a few inches deeper and wider than the root ball. It’s best to grow elderberries far apart, leaving at least six to 10 feet between each new plant, depending on the mature size of the cultivar you’re planting. (While most cultivars are self-pollinating, many growers prefer to plant two plants of the same species nearby to encourage cross-pollination and fruiting.) Loosen each plant from its starter pot and place it in the hole. Fill in with soil around the root ball, and gently tamp down the top.
4. 4. Water: Immediately after planting, water thoroughly to set the soil in place and help establish the plant’s roots.

Once planted, elderberry bushes require only basic care:

• Water. Elderberry bushes like moisture. They prefer consistently moist soil over too-dry soil and can even handle brief periods of flooding. For best results, keep the soil evenly moist for the first year or so of growing—once your bushes are established, you can taper off watering and only water them during periods of drought if the leaves begin to droop. If your soil loses moisture too quickly, consider building up mulch around your elderberry plants to retain moisture.
• Weed. Since elderberry plants have shallow roots, they don’t compete well against other plants for nutrients, so weed the bed routinely, especially in the first year of growth.
• Prune. Once your elderberry bushes are mature and begin producing berries, occasional pruning can help keep them in check and encourage fruit production. For best results, conduct an annual prune in late winter or early spring (before your bushes begin growing leaves), removing old or diseased canes and trimming back branches to encourage new growth.

Most elderberry plants begin producing fruit in the second year after planting. The berries ripen in late summer—once they’re a purplish-black color and the juice runs red when squished, they’re ready to be harvested.

To harvest your elderberries, handpick ripe clusters off of branches during the coolest part of the day (to prevent the berries from spoiling quickly). The berries can last in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, in the freezer for up to six months, or dehydrated for up to one year.

Elderberry flowers are also edible and popular for elderflower wine or tea. Harvest elderberry flowers by handpicking an open cluster after most of the flowers on a cluster have opened. You can freeze, dry, and store the flowers for up to one year.

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