Over the years the side garden area of our yard has gradually grown into a small forest area. My kids call the area “the thicket.” They play in the pathways I’ve cut through. Over time the sassafras trees have grown tall changing the hillside from just a grassy field to a small forest. Among the plants naturally growing in “the thicket” is a stand of elderberry bushes (Sambucus canadensis). I love the look of elderberries in the fall when they are loaded with berries and in the springtime when they bloom. Elderberries are easy plants to grow if put in the right place.
Growing Elderberry
Elderberry bushes like to grow in a full sun to part shade location. In our yard the elderberries function as an understory plant and are doing quite well on the edges of taller trees in forest areas. They like soil that gets moist but is well drained. Elderberries have relatively shallow root systems that colonize areas. If you want to keep them under control keep them pruned back but in larger areas you can allow them to colonize.
Elderberry Propagation
Their colonization ability makes elderberry an easy plant to propagate. To propagate elderberry from an offshoot or sucker simply dig up an off shoot of the main plant and make sure it has some roots of it’s own. If the offshoot does have roots then sever the main root connecting it to the mother plant, and pot up the new plant in a pot. This method for propagating elderberry is essentially a type of division.
You can also take softwood, semi-ripe, and hardwood cuttings of elderberry (see my Plant Propagation Guide for More info on Cuttings) very easily. I transplanted one elderberry just recently and put in in a pot to take over to our land. So far I have not seen any elderberries over there and I’m hoping I can establish them.
Propagating Elderberry
- Take 4 to 6 inch cuttings from a 1st year shoot. .
- Place in moist soil medium. Potting soil, fine bark chips, peat/perlite all work well.
- Keep watered until rooted. Elderberry likes water so don’t let it dry out.
Elderberry cuttings should root in about 8 weeks.
Uses for Elderberries
Sambucus canadensis elderberries are edible but not all species are so make sure you know what you are growing. The edible varieties can be made into jams, jellies, juice, and wine. Elderberry stems were used by Native Americans to make flutes as they are very easy to hollow out. In the garden they grow between 5-12 feet and can be used as a deciduous hedge or along stream banks. They can also attract butterflies and pollinators when in bloom as well as birds when the berries are present.
