Elderberry: flowering time, types & tips for propagation

When does the elder blossom? What varieties of elderberry are there? What do you need to know about caring for and propagating elderberries? We reveal the best tricks.

Already in the Middle Ages the elder was a valued food and medicine. Out of respect for the valuable plant, men doffed their hats when they passed an elder tree. And even today, the elder is very popular because of its beautiful flowers and diverse uses.

Elderberry: origin and properties

elder (Sambucus) denotes a plant genus in the musk herb family (Adoxaceae). There are about 40 species worldwide, distributed from the temperate zones of the northern to the tropical zones of the southern hemisphere. Three types of elder are native to Central Europe. The most famous of them is certainly the black elder (

Sambucus nigra), which is usually referred to as elderberry and, depending on the region, is also known as "lilac berry bush", "holler" or "holder".

It is a strongly branched, round-crowned, fast-growing woody plant whose branches overhang strongly. Depending on the location, the elder grows into a large bushy shrub or small tree and reaches without regular pruning, a height of about six to even ten meters and a maximum width of four meters. The bark of the young elderberry bush is light beige to greyish and smooth. With increasing age, a clearly recognizable layer of cork forms on the trunk and thick branches. The green leaves of the black elder consist of five to seven serrated individual leaves and are imparipinnate. They are opposite and often sprout as early as the end of February to the beginning of March.

With its flowers, the elder heralds the beginning of summer. The numerous small, five-petalled individual flowers are densely packed in broad umbrella panicles. Insects find valuable food in the elderflowers. If the elderflowers are not harvested for processing into elderflower syrup, for example, purple-black, round elderberries form from the pollinated flowers in late summer. Botanically, they are drupes that ripen and can be harvested and processed at the end of September to October. However, since the fruit is a valuable food source for birds, you should always leave enough fruit for the chirping garden dwellers.

Elderflowers: when do elderflowers bloom?

The dense, white flowers of the elder usually bloom in June. In climatically favorable locations, flowering sometimes begins as early as May.

Elderberry species and varieties

In addition to the black elder, the shrub-like red elder (Sambucus racemosa) and the dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus) native. Within these species, there are a number of different varieties that differ in flower and leaf color, leaf shape, growth height and fruit size.

Black elder

• 'Haschberg': large-fruited variety; broad growth; fragrant and insect-friendly flowers; 3 - 5 m height; used in fruit growing
• ′Black Beauty′: Special eye-catcher; brown-red glossy foliage; pink-white, lemon-scented flowers; purple-black fruits; up to 3 m in height
• 'Black Lace': Foliage initially green-red, later dark red and slightly glossy; slotted sheet; pink buds turn into pink-white flowers with a lemon scent; juicy, black fruits; 2-3.5m in height
• ′Golden Tower′: Yellow-leaved columnar elder; columnar growth; yellow-green foliage, deeply dissected leaf; white, racemose flowers; 1.5-2.5m in height; also suitable as a pot plant
• ′Black Tower′: red-leaved columnar elder; columnar growth; black-red glossy leaves; pink-white flowers with a lemon scent; attracts butterflies; purple-black fruits; up to 2 m in height
• ′Purpurea′: red-leaved elder; bushy growth; dark red foliage, turning green again towards autumn; white flowers; 3-5 m in height
• 'Marginata': White variegated foliage; prone to sunburn in very sun-exposed places

Red elderberry

The red elder, also called deer or grape elder, stays lower than the black elder. The leaf looks very similar to that of black elder, but is usually made up of fewer individual leaves. As the name already suggests, the fruits turn red towards maturity - unlike black elderberry.

• ′Sutherland Gold′: Fernleaf Gold Elder; upright, bushy growth; golden-yellow radiant foliage; flowering period: late April to late May; white flowers; Red fruits; 2-3 m in height
• 'Plumosa': heavily dissected leaves; Red fruits; 2-3 m in height
• 'Plumosa Aurea': fern-leaved golden elder; bushy growth; leaves heavily incised; foliage first violet, then yellow; Red fruits; 2-3 m in height

dwarf elder

The dwarf elder is also called perennial elder, attich and sometimes wild elder. This is a herbaceous species that only reaches heights of around two meters compared to the shrubby species of elderberry. Its flowers bloom between June and July in white to light pink and have an intense fragrance. The leaves of the dwarf elder are larger than those of the previously described species. They are about 20 centimeters long and are roughly toothed.

Plant elderberry: tips for the garden and balcony

The elder feels at home in a sunny or semi-shady location as well as in the shade. It is a very undemanding plant and thrives in almost any soil. However, it feels particularly at home on moist, humus-rich and calcareous soils. The best time to plant is in autumn or early spring. Further information and practical tips for planting the elderberry bush can be found in our special article on elder plants.

cultivate elderberry

The elder is a very easy-care and frugal tree and does not require any extensive care.

Pour elderberry

After planting, the elder should be watered regularly so that it forms many roots and grows well. Older plants, on the other hand, hardly need to be watered, and they can easily withstand longer periods of drought.

Fertilize elderberry

When planting the elderberry, you should fill the soil in the planting hole with compost or a slow-release fertilizer - such as our primarily organic Plantura organic universal fertilizer - enrich. When it has grown, the elderberry bush does not need any further fertilizer.

In order to keep the elderberry bush in shape and to avoid rapid aging of the wood, regular pruning is necessary. You can find out how to do this in our special article on cutting elderberries.

multiply elderberry

Elderberry can be propagated in a number of ways. The sowing of elder seed is very complex and time-consuming. Cuttings or sticks are much easier. When propagating by cuttings, shoots 10 to 15 centimeters long are cut at the end of June have at least one pair of leaves at the top and are already slightly woody at the bottom should. All leaves and flower buds are removed except for the top leaves and the cuttings then about three centimeters deep in a container with potting soil, such as ours peat free Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil, plugged. Place the containers with the cuttings in a bright spot out of direct sunlight and keep the soil moist at all times to allow the cuttings to root and grow.

Propagation by cuttings works in a similar way, but the cuttings are only cut in late autumn or winter. During this time, the elderberry bush is in hibernation. Cut shoots about ten centimeters long, which have some buds at the top. Put the sticks deeper into the ground than when propagating by cuttings. Only about three centimeters should stick out of the ground. Overwinter the sticks in a bright, frost-free place and keep the soil moist.

Is elderberry poisonous?

All three types of elderberry mentioned here are poisonous. Their plant parts contain toxic hydrocyanic acid glycosides such as sambunigrin. It is released in a gaseous form when the leaves are crushed or the shoots are injured. The poison can cause headaches, diarrhea and vomiting, among other things. The black and the red elder are considered to be slightly poisonous, with the red elder having a higher content of toxic substances. The dwarf elder is the most poisonous of the three types of elder and should never be eaten. Therefore, be careful not to confuse the types of elder before harvesting the fruit.

While elderflowers are processed into elderflower syrup or similar without special treatment and can then be consumed, the ripe elderberries must first be processed and consumed be heated. You should therefore not eat unripe and raw fruit, as the toxic substances are only rendered harmless by heat treatment. It should be noted that the seeds in the fruits of the red elderberry are still poisonous even after exposure to heat and should be removed before consumption.

If you are more interested in the diverse uses of elderberry, you can read our special article on the topic "Harvest and use elderberries" Continue reading.

Not only we humans enjoy the elder and its products, birds are also happy about its fruits. You can find out which other plants you can use to make your garden bird-friendly and which shrubs birds feel particularly comfortable in in our special article on native shrubs for birds.