Eden & DaneElderberry
A fast-growing native shrub prized for its clusters of white flowers in early summer and dark, medicinal berries by late summer, equally at home as a hedgerow or a managed fruiting shrub.
Native elderberry tolerates wet, poorly-drained sites better than almost any other fruiting plant in our catalog, making it a strong choice for low spots, rain gardens, or the damp edges of a property that other species struggle with. It grows quickly, often reaching fruiting size within two to three years, and produces large flat-topped flower clusters (elderflower) followed by heavy clusters of small dark berries.
Elderberry benefits from planting two different varieties for a heavier, more reliable fruit set, though a single plant will still produce. It responds well to hard renewal pruning and can be kept as a compact managed shrub or allowed to grow into a small multi-stem tree. Both flowers and berries have a long history of culinary and medicinal use, but berries should always be cooked before eating.
Planting & Growing Information
Good company
for your elderberry.
Flowers first.
Then the berries.
Elderberry gives you two distinct harvests from the same plant. Large flat clusters of white flowers, elderflower, arrive in early summer and can be used fresh or dried. By late summer those same clusters have turned into heavy bunches of small dark berries, the part most people grow this plant for in the first place.
What sets native elderberry apart from almost everything else in our catalog is how well it tolerates wet, poorly-drained ground. If you have a low spot, a rain garden, or a damp edge where other fruiting plants have failed, this is very likely the plant that will actually work there.
What to know before you buy
Berries and flowers both have a long history of culinary and medicinal use, but raw berries and other plant parts contain compounds that can cause nausea. Berries should always be cooked before eating - this is standard practice, not a defect of the plant.
For the heaviest, most reliable fruit set, plant two different varieties. A single plant will still produce, but cross-pollination between varieties noticeably improves yield.
Elderberry grows quickly and responds well to hard renewal pruning. You can keep it as a compact managed shrub or let it grow into a small multi-stem tree, six to twelve feet depending on how you prune it.
Planting a hedgerow,
not a single bush.
We work with other nurseries, landscapers, and rain garden or wetland restoration projects on bulk elderberry orders. Availability is seasonal - reach out ahead of your planting window so we can plan stock around your order.
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