Elderberry (American)

Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis (American elderberry) · Moschatel family (Adoxaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	4 to 8
Sun	full sun to part shade
Water	moderate
Life cycle	perennial
Frost	Hardy: takes frost
Soil pH	5.5–6.5
Spacing	48 to 84 inches

About Elderberry (American)

American elderberry is a fast-growing native shrub with big flat clusters of white flowers and deep purple berries that birds love. The berries must be cooked before eating: raw berries, leaves and stems contain cyanide-forming compounds.

NC State lists zones 4-8; the native American elderberry is recommended over the European type for the Midwest (Ohio State; Penn State).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Expect a light crop in the second year and a full crop by the third or fourth year (Ohio State); Penn State suggests removing flowers the first year or two. Plants spread by root suckers.

Soil

Adaptable: tolerates wet to dry soils, though fruiting is best in sun (Penn State). Ohio State gives an ideal pH of 5.5-6.5, while Penn State cites 6.8-7.2.

Test the soil and aim for a pH of about 5.5-6.5; add organic matter, control perennial weeds, and plant on a raised berm if drainage is poor.

Feeding

First year: 4-8 weeks after planting: nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0. Give only a light feeding.
Each spring from the second year on, as growth begins (late March-early April): nitrogen fertilizer such as 21-0-0, with phosphorus and potassium only if a soil test calls for them. Spread evenly around the plants; follow a soil test for the amount.

Don't plant in low spots where spring frost settles.

Harvest

Berries are ripe when they turn deep purple, almost black (Ohio State). Flowers bloom in June-July in flat clusters up to 10 inches across (Penn State).

Elderberry flowers in June and gives one crop of berries in August (Wisconsin). Many growers cut all shoots to the ground each year so the next crop ripens more evenly.

Varieties (14)

University of Missouri trials found the northeastern Adams, York and Nova Scotia cultivars generally did not perform as well in Missouri as newer Midwest selections. European elderberry may be poorly adapted to the Midwest. All elderberries crop better with two or more cultivars.

Variety	Type	Notes
Adams 1	American elderberry	Medium, sweet, juicy purple berries. Selected from the wild in New York (1926). Parent of Kent, Nova and Scotia.
Adams 2	American elderberry	Sweet, juicy purple berries. Among the most productive cultivars; a bit smaller-berried but more productive than Adams 1. Selected from the wild in New York (1926).
Bob Gordon	American elderberry	Small to medium, sweet purple berries. Drooping clusters that birds find harder to raid. Large clusters on first-year shoots. Heavy crops. Selected near Osceola, Missouri; University of Missouri release (2011).
Johns	American elderberry	Firm, glossy, sweet purple-black berries. Released in Nova Scotia (1954). Did well in Ohio trials.
Kent	American elderberry	Medium to large berries. Seedling of Adams 1 from Nova Scotia (1957).
Nova	American elderberry	Large, soft, sweet purple-black berries, sweeter than Kent or Victoria. Seedling of Adams 2, released in Nova Scotia (1959).
Pocahontas	American elderberry	Medium, dark purple berries. Very vigorous and upright, to about 6 ft, with very large clusters. Out-yielded Bob Gordon in Missouri trials. Wild selection from Pocahontas, Arkansas; shared with growers from 2019.
Ranch	American elderberry	Small, glossy black, sweet berries. Found at an old homestead. Does well in poor soils; very drought-tolerant with high pest and disease tolerance.
Scotia	American elderberry	Medium to large berries, sweeter than Kent or Victoria. Seedling of Adams 2, released in Nova Scotia (1959).
Victoria	American elderberry	Medium to large berries. Released in Nova Scotia (1957).
Wyldewood	American elderberry	Small to medium, dark purple to black berries for jam, jelly and wine. Large, vigorous, upright shrub with huge flower clusters, up to a foot across. Very productive in the Midwest. Selected from the wild near Eufaula, Oklahoma; University of Missouri release (2010).
York	American elderberry	Soft, sweet, juicy, very dark berries; deeply pigmented. The largest berries of the American cultivars. Bred in New York from Adams 2 x Ezyoff (1964).
Korsor	European elderberry	Large, glossy, sweet, juicy black berries. Danish selection; very winter-hardy, with high pigment content.
Samyl	European elderberry	Used mainly for juice, plus pies, wine and jam. Danish selection with very high pigment (anthocyanin) content.

Pests to watch for

Japanese beetle, Spotted wing drosophila, Birds, Twospotted spider mite, Aphids

Diseases and problems

Powdery mildew, Rust

In the kitchen

Cooked berries go into pies, jams, syrups and fruit leather; the flowers flavor syrups, sorbets and drinks (Penn State).

Keeping it: Strip berries from stems and freeze them soon after picking; cook them later. Cooked syrups and jams keep a few weeks in the fridge.

Safety: Raw or unripe berries, leaves and stems contain cyanide-producing compounds (sambunigrin) that can cause nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhea; cooking the berries destroys the toxin, and large amounts of the toxin can cause serious illness (NCCIH; Penn State). Do not confuse it with red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), whose red berries are poisonous (Penn State). Little is known about safety in pregnancy (NCCIH).

Pets: Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA): the leaves, stems, roots and unripe berries hold cyanide-forming compounds

Sources

Photo: Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.