To our reader who reached out for advice on this wonderful plant, I’m delighted you did!
Growing elderberries in north central Ohio is something you can absolutely achieve with a little care. I remember having the same questions when I started.
One thing to know: there are 20 to 30 related species of American Elder (Sambucus canadensis) worldwide, and at least six different elderberry cultivars, each with their own quirks.
When you start looking around locally, you’ll notice plenty of nurseries offering their own varieties.
I’ve grown two different types in my yard and they’ve both thrived — so you’re in good company!
I always think of elderberry as a friendly, medium- to tall-shrub — usually between 5 and 12 feet tall.
It’s a pretty easygoing plant: it loves moist soil but will forgive you if things dry out now and then.
Soil pH isn’t much of a concern, but you’ll notice it sends up lots of suckers (a bit like strawberries do), so a little regular pruning will help keep things tidy.
Over the years, gardeners like us have grown elderberry in hedges to make picking fruit easier.
Of course, elderberry does face a few challenges — borers, cankers, and leaf spots can occasionally pop up. If you ever want more plants, propagation is simple by either cuttings or seeds.
Fun fact: Sambucus canadensis, the American Elder, is a native bog plant stretching from Nova Scotia to Florida and Texas, and it was first introduced from Europe way back in 1761.
One hour before planting, allow your elderberry to take a long drink, then install your specimen. Dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and a little deeper. The hole should have sloped sides, not a round cylindrical shape.
Break up the soil at the bottom of the hole as part of the normal process. Replace a portion of the soil with some rich compost or other organic soil. You want the roots to have the greatest chance at success.
Since you have already watered the plant, lightly water the soil in the hole before planting.
If your elderberry comes in a pot, check for girdling roots — they’re common and can end up choking your plant. I don’t often suggest a lot of pruning, but this is the exception: snip those circling roots before planting.
I also like to make four vertical cuts with my hand pruner around the root ball bottom (think north, south, east, and west) — it helps the roots spread out and get a good start.
I have found elderberries to be vigorous growers and need to be planted just a bit deeper than the old soil level, which was the top of the root ball.
I leave a couple of inches of stem below the first branch node. Adjust the plant in the hole as needed to achieve good positioning.
Spread the roots out evenly, not breaking the roots, so that they aren’t circling the hole or clumping in the bottom of the hole.
As you back-fill the hole with the soil you removed, mix in some compost or other organic matter. Halfway through the filling process, water the plant again, then continue filling.
To avoid large air pockets in the hole, tamp the soil firmly as you install the plant. Build a mound around the plant, two feet from the trunk, to conserve water for the new plant.
As a landscaper, I have always applied 3 to 4 inches of good hardwood mulch to the area where the plant has been installed.
Make sure that you leave a finger’s length distance from the trunk of the elderberry to the edge of the mulch. Mulch contacting the trunk can allow a place for diseases to reside. Do not pile mulch on the tree’s trunk, as it can cause problems for the tree’s future health.
Elderberries are a real treat for birds, too. Can you imagine — over 120 different bird species include elderberries in their diet!
Robins are usually the first to sneak a taste, sometimes even before the berries are ripe, so you might want to cover your shrub with some fabric as harvest time approaches.
Warblers, grosbeaks, and goldfinches also love nesting in elderberry bushes. Whenever I design a bird-friendly garden, elderberry is always high on my list — it’s a plant that brings both beauty and life to your yard.
There are many good reasons to grow elderberries, not least delicious elderberry pie. I hope you take the opportunity to grow some elderberry in your yard this year. You won’t regret it.
Have a good stroll through your garden this week. If you have any questions as you walk through your garden, e-mail me at ericlarson546@yahoo.com.
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