All About Elderberry
Spirits, Mischief, Medicine, & Recipes!
Those lovely edible (when cooked) clusters of tiny, jewel-like fruits we call Elderberries come from a fruitful group of tree-like shrubs known through Europe, North America, and beyond as “Elders.”
Spoiler alert! Elderberries aren’t berries, but a structure called a “drupe” and here at Home Orchard Education Center, we can’t stop singing the praises of this versatile shrub. Read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about growing and utilizing this under-appreciated superfood.
What’s In A Name?
Sambucus, the scientific name for the Elder genus, comes from the Greek word sambuke—an ancient wind instrument or flute, and likely refers to the widespread historical usage of this plant’s stems, which can be hollowed out by removing the soft pithy interior to make whistles.
Steve Berman of the Talent Historical Society playing an elderberry flute.
Elder, the common English name is traced by some sources back to the Anglo-Saxon word aeld, meaning “fire”— because the stems were also used as a bellows, by blowing through them to coax a flame into fire.
Elder may also stem from a similar lineage as Alder, which has Middle English roots in words for “old” or “elder,” as in… “respect your elders, young whipper snapper!”
Here in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, elderberries have been heavily relied upon by the Native Americans and First Peoples who share their ranges. The Haida, Quileute, Quinault, Skokomish, Okanagan, and Northern Paiute have all documented using these plants for food, medicine, dyes, baskets, instruments, and tools.
Steeped In Folklore & Superstition!
Throughout the British Isles, Elder trees have strong associations with the world of fairies and spirits, both helpful and mischievous.
Elders were once widely associated with the idea of metaphysical transformation, and passage from one state of mind to another, and tend to pop up in folk stories, myths, and traditions in all manner of interesting and contradictory ways.
Don’t Let The Devil In The House!
Using the fragile, pithy twigs of Elders for kindling was once a common practice, but it was oddly taboo to burn its mature wood. Some believed to do so meant inviting misfortune into the house and risked seeing the Devil dancing in the flames! This belief may have resulted from the fact that burning the wood of some types of Elders may potentially result in cyanide poisoning if smoke is inhaled.
Garden Design With Serious Consequences!
The berries and flowers of Elders were common in the gardens of many older homes, however, the placement of the shrubs was apparently of great consequence!
An interesting bit of mysterious lore tells us that Elder planted by your front door, was thought to invite bad luck, mischief, and the threat of destructive house fires - oh my!
However, when planted near the back door, the very same Elder was said to bless your household with good health and a full pantry. Hmmmm.
While the practice of planting gardens near the back door was often the norm, considering the standard layout of houses of this time where the kitchen was placed in the rear of the house - we aren’t quite sure how the jump was made to fire and misfortune when placed in front!
To Sniff Or Not To Sniff?
Stinky Foliage: Crushed Elder foliage (espeically red elder which is also called Stinking Elder) is often thought to have an unpleasant, stinking smell said to drive away flies and other pests. It was often bundled and hung in places where baking was done, or where pies or loaves of bread were set out to cool.
Sweet Blooms: The sweet, cloying scent of an Elder tree in full flower, however, was associated with the drowsiness of sleep. A person who fell asleep beneath an Elder tree was said to find themselves in the fairy realm when they awoke. Spooky!
Food, Medicine, and…. Poison?
Medicinal Value
Elderberries, a rich source of Vitamins A, C, and B6 are a popular ingredient in medicinal preparations for the treatment of colds and immune support. They posesses powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, that may help stave off infection, and neutralize free radicals. For these reasons, elderberry has recieved attention in recent years for further study of it’s medicinal use. More research is needed, but at least one fact remains clear: they appear to pack a powerful punch to help our bodies fight off the bad guys!
But Aren’t Elderberries Posionous?
Yes, no, sort of. Fruits and flowers of the elder bush are edible. However the seeds, stems, wood, and leaves do contain cyanogenic glycosides – a compound which, if ingested raw in large quantities can be highly toxic to humans. Fortunately, the glycosides in the berries and seeds fully break down during the cooking process, rendering them safe to eat.
There is still some argument surrounding whether or not the glycosides in the seed of red elderberry breaks down fully, so blue and black elderberries have become the more popular choice for most growers and consumers especially since their berries are tastier anyway. Others feel that the seeds of Red Elderberry are perfectly safe after cooking and use them regularly. We will let you do your own further research on that one.
Safe Eating Practices:
Because raw elderberries are not particularly tasty, it’s unlikely you’ll be tempted to eat enough to make you sick without cooking them first, and we doubt you’ll have the desire to munch on the leaves or twigs either!
Berries / Fruit: Remove the berries from the twigs & tiny stems and cook them well before consuming.
Leaves, stems, wood: Do not eat the stems leaves or wood even after cooking.
Flowers: Safe to eat fresh off the bush! No cooking required.
Grow Your Own
Want to add Elderberries to your garden but not sure where to start?
You’re in luck! Growing Elderberries is easy.
Which Variety To Chose?
When hunting for elderberries to plant in your home garden, you are likely to come across many different varieties. Black, red, blue, purple, and even fancy ornamental types. Ack! Which to pick? While some of the smaller dwarfed ornamental varieties can be kept as small as 3 feet tall, others may reach the second story of your house if not pruned annually! Expect most cultivars you will find in the local nursery to grow into the 6-15’ range unless specifically noted that they are smaller when mature.
The two most commonly commercially available varieties of elderberry grown for fruit production here in the Pacific Northwest are American & European Black Elderberry. Both have edible & medicinal value and blackish / purple berries:
European Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra): Approx 10-20’ tall depending on cultivar and pruning.
American Black Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis): Approx 10-20’ tall depending on cultivar and pruning.
Most of the cultivars you’ll encounter for sale in this area for fruit and flower cultivation have been developed from wild genetic stock of the American Elder to better adapt to the growing conditions of North American bioregions. Most commercial growers opt for named varieties with berry clusters that hang down so that berries face the ground instead of upwards towards the sky. This helps protect the fruit to some extent from bird predation.
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp.cerulea) Approx 6-12’ tall
What’s that, you say? The elderberries growing in your neighbor’s garden produce lovely dusty blue fruits? They must be growing Blue Elderberry!
Why do its fruits look blue? This variety produces a powdery coating when its fruit clusters reach optimal ripeness, giving their blackish-purple berries a smokey, powdery-blue hue. Blue Elderberry has recently been reclassified as a subspecies of S. nigra, (like the black elderberry) despite its difference in appearance. Its new name, S. nigra ssp. cerulea, reflects this.
Not to worry if you’re feeling “black and blue” from trying to follow along— all you really need to know now is that Blue Elderberry fruits and flowers can be used in all the same ways you’d use black elderberries.
Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa): Approx 10-20’ tall
Red Elders produce—you guessed it!—bright red fruits. This variety tends to grow along the edge of woodlands and alongside creeks and rivers. The scientific name “racemosa” refers to the cone-like shape of it’s flower clusters (called a “raceme”), that are different from the flat-topped flower clusters of other Sambucus species (called a “cyme”).
The fruits of Red Elderberry are also edible when cooked, although sources seem to agree that they aren’t nearly as tasty, and as mentioned above there is still some argument around whether or not the glycosides in red elderberry seeds break down fully when cooked. Butterflies, migrating birds, and other wildlife however, adore every part of this plant, making it a favorite of native plant enthusiasts and wildlife gardeners!
Planting Requirements
Elderberries a natural understory species, so while they are tolerant of shade, sunlight is required if you want a bountiful supply of fruit. For best fruit production choose a site with 1/2 day to full day sun.
While drought tolerant after established, your elderberries prefer and will produce best in moist well-drained soil, with a preferred pH of 5.6-6.5.
Pollination Requirements
Most types of Elderberries are now thought to be at least partially self-fertile, although there is still some argument about this. The word self-fertile means that one single plant is able to pollinate itself in order to produce fruit.
In order to ensure fruiting and induce heavier yields and larger fruits on your Elders, make sure to plant a second as a pollination partner. Although American & European Elders are now thought to be within the same species and many can technically pollinate each other, their bloom times often do not overlap. and that window in which cross pollination could occur is missed.
So best practice is:
For European Elder, plant a second European Elder of a different variety within 50 feet (closer is better). For American Elder, plant a second American Elder of a different variety within 50 feet (closer is better).
And so on and so forth.
Pruning
You might be surprised how fast your Elder grows - it may double or triple in height in one single season after it is fully established! Don’t be alarmed, learning to prune for size control is easy and Elder’s are forgiving. Because Elderberries are so vigorous, they can be pruned back hard (renewal pruning) with no damage to the plant. You will need bypass hand pruning shears, and loppers or a pruning saw for larger branches.
YEARS 1-2: During the first two years little to no pruning is required. Make sure your plant is well watered and protected from curious critters.
YEARS 3 & BEYOND: Now you should begin to see some real growth, and possibly suckering from the base.
Pruning To A Shrub Form
In fall or winter, after fruiting is finished, remove all dead, broken and weak canes.
Next, cut back the mature shoots to a reachable height. Mature shoots are those that bore fruit that same year. Don’t be afraid to cut back to waist, chest, or head height to keep your berries within reach. Commercial Elderberry growers sometimes even mow their plants within a couple inches of the ground! We cut ours back to about 6’ tall.
If your bush is getting crowded, it’s time for some renewal pruning. Remove 2-3 of the largest, oldest canes to the ground, allowing the younger suckers to grow into replace them.
Pruning To A Tree Form
If you prefer to grow your Elder into more of a tree-like form, simply select one to three strong straight shoots to keep, and raise the crown by removing the lower branches from the trunk(s). If there are not yet branches on those selected shoots, shorten the tip(s) of your selected shoots. This will encourage the dormant buds from below your cut to branch out.
Harvesting
Depending on site & planting conditions, you may see berries as soon as the second year after planting. Fruit clusters develop at the tips of the current season’s growth and ripen in late summer to early fall.
STEP ONE: Simply snip off the entire cluster of berries when they are fully ripe.
STEP TWO: Remember that the stems contain cyanogenic glycosides, so remove the berries from the tiny stems. There a number of different ways to do this. One of the HOEC volunteers swears the berries roll off easier when the whole cluster has been frozen first, and another thinks they’re a breeze to remove with a combing motion of their fingers when fresh. Try removing the berries with your fingers when fresh first, and if you have trouble, give the freezer method a shot!
Where To Find Elderberry Plants
There is growing diversity of Sambucus nigra cultivars on the market, so we recommend a visit to your local nursery or garden center to peruse the options!
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, One Green World, Portland Nursery, Burnt Ridge Nursery, and Edgewood Nursery are great places to start your search. Elderberry is also very easy to propagate from cuttings, so you may try posting on any of your local garden groups to see if neighbors have cuttings to share. It’s a great way to meet fellow Elderberry enthusiasts!
Alright, enough with all the learning—
let’s get to the delicious part!
RECIPES
Spiced Elderberry Syrup
Wondering what to do with your hard-won elderberry crop? Try this recipe for elderberry syrup and keep it on hand for that time of year when the seasonal sniffles kick in, or enjoy it over it ice cream or waffles!
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh or frozen elderberries, or 2 cups dried berries (stems removed!)
2 cups water
2 tbsp honey (or more to taste)
2 tsp ground cloves
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger (peeled)
2 slices lemon
1 cinnamon stick
Directions:
Sort the elderberries and remove any that are spoiled, along with any remaining twigs or leaves.
Combine elderberries and water in a stainless steel pan; bring to a gentle boil and then immediately lower to a simmer (avoid boiling, as it will destroy some of the flavor of the berries). Simmer for 20 minutes.
Every 5 minutes, mash the berries with the back of a spoon or a potato masher to release the juices.
Line a fine-meshed sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Pour the contents of the simmering pan into the sieve and leave it to drip. Then, gather the ends of the cheesecloth, twist them closed, and keep twisting firmly to squeeze out as much of the juice as possible. You should be left with about 2 cups of juice.
Pour the strained juice back into a clean, stainless steel pan along with the honey, cloves, ginger, lemon slices, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the mixture starts to thicken, about 15 minutes.
Strain again and pour the liquid into a clean, sterilized jar. It will keep in the fridge for roughly 6 months, and can also be frozen.
Use as you would any fruit syrup or maple syrup: drizzled over yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, or waffles. Alternatively, mix it into hot water for a soothing tea, in sparkling water for a refreshing drink, or simply enjoy it on its own by the spoonful!
Elderflower Cordial
Already have an established Elder in your garden that’s producing more fruit than you know what to do with? Try harvesting your most aromatic flower clusters before they set fruit, to make an elderflower cordial, a refreshing summertime favorite of the British.
Ingredients:
4 heaping cups elderflowers, stems removed
(about 15-20 heads, depending on the size)
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
1 tsp citric acid
2 lemons (unwaxed), sliced and zested, pith removed
Directions:
Harvest the flowers like you would the fruit, by snipping off the whole flower head for later processing. First, gently shake each one (to dislodge any bugs that may be hitching a ride), then pluck each individual flower from the cluster, removing the stems as you do so.
In a large stock pot, heat the water, sugar, and citric acid together until fully dissolved. While doing this, prepare the lemons by peeling and saving the zest. Remove and discard the pith (which can add a bitter taste to your cordial), and slice the inner fruit into rounds.
When the sugar water has cooled enough to not burn a finger, stir in the elderflowers, lemon zest, and lemon slices. Put a lid on the pot and let steep for 24 hours.
Strain the entire mixture through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Your cordial is now ready! Pour into clean and sterilized jars or glass bottles and store in the refrigerator for 1-3 months. Mix with chilled water to make a refreshing drink, or mix with sparkling water to make a refreshing beverage called a pressé.