Buy Sambucus racemosa

All across the north country, all along fence rows, country roads, and wandering creeks, this 3-12' shrub produces its great pyramidal clusters of foamy-white flowers followed by bright-red berries in fall; very ornamental! S-PSh/M

Useful as a small tree or large shrub, the Red Elderberry grows in a wide range of soils ranging from dry to very wet. Plants grow quickly and produce flowers on new wood which allows for heavy winter pruning without reducing summer flowering. Many gardeners keep their Elderberry plants short with frequent winter pruning - often 4 to 5 feet tall - but those with larger landscapes can leave them alone to develop into a large shrub. Red Elderberries often grow 10 to 15 feet tall with multiple trunks but under ideal conditions can reach 20 feet. In June and July the plants are covered with white flowers that develop into large clumps of red berries in the fall.
The Red Elderberry is native across much of North America in both the west and east and is also native to Eurasia - this is an unusually large range for a single species and is a great indicator for the adaptability if this species. The red berries are edible and popular for making jams and medicinal teas, however they can be bland when eaten raw. When left on the tree through the winter the berries are an excellent food source for birds and other wildlife.


Shipping Information
Normally most plants we ship are well rooted but Elderberry are prone to root circling and root stunting so we prune roots heavily before shipping. Plants will have a well developed root trunk structure but few fibrous roots. Elderberry plants grow quickly and will develop heavy root structures by late spring and produce lots of top growth in their first year after being root pruned.

We have found that root pruned plants outperform non-pruned plants significantly, even though the roots on pruned plants can look kind of scary. As always, if you have any issues getting your plants to grow let us know and we'll be happy to help.

The pretty, if fleating, red fruit are locally eaten by the elusive and native band-tailed pigeons. This is an important food source for widelife and integral part of revegetation programs.

This deciduous shrub can grow to 20 feet tall. In the spring, pyramidal clusters of small white flowers are followed by clusters of bright red berries. Needs moist loamy soil and can be pruned when dormant to keep the plant bushy. The fruits are reportedly safe to eat when cooked and can make an excellent jelly. Native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. Both S. mexicana and S. racemosa are obligate hosts of the federally threatened valley elderberry longhorn beetle, which is endemic to the Central Valley of California. Many large and small mammals and a variety of birds eat the fruits. The Yurok tribe used the leaves to pack eggs while cooking and the Mahuna tribe used the blossoms to treat measles and ate the berries to quench thirst. Found in it grows in riparian environments, woodlands, and other habitat, generally in moist areas. Communitites located in Northern Coastal Scrub, Redwood Forest, Douglas-Fir Forest Between 0 and 5906 feet.