Elderberry Shrub

Our elderberry shrub is Sambucus canadensis, the American elderberry, a fast, adaptable native bush with big white flower clusters and dark purple berries. We ship elderberry shrubs bare-root in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes, in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500, for hedgerows, wildlife plantings, berry growers and wholesale buyers.

Elderberry Shrub Size, Zones and Sun

An elderberry bush grows 5 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide, with a loose, arching habit. It's hardy in zones 4 to 8. Full sun gives the best fruit, but partial shade works too. This shrub tolerates wet soil and dry soil, heat and compaction, and it likes rich, moist ground best.

Elderberry Flowers and Berries

Fragrant creamy-white flowers open in flat-topped clusters 4 to 10 inches wide, blooming in June on second-year wood. The berries are purplish-black, about a quarter inch across, and hang in drooping clusters from August to September. Cooked berries go into pies, jelly and syrup. Our guide to elderberry uses and benefits covers the kitchen side.

Elderberry and Wildlife

Butterflies and other insects visit the blooms, and birds and mammals eat the fruit. The thick growth gives nesting sites for songbirds, plus cover for quail and pheasants. Hollow dead stems shelter native bees, so if you cut them back, leave 12 to 24 inches standing.

Where to Plant Elderberry

Think hedgerows, pond margins, fence lines, the back of a border and edible landscapes. Elderberries spread by root suckers, so they suit a background spot better than a tidy bed. Space plants 6 to 8 feet apart. For ideas on varieties, see our five elderberry varieties to try.

Planting Elderberry Bare-root

Soak the roots for an hour, dig a hole as wide as the root spread and plant at the depth the shrub grew. Water well and mulch.

Buying Elderberry Shrubs in Bulk

A pack of 100 at 6-foot spacing makes a hedgerow of about 600 feet. The 2-3 foot size is the usual choice for production plantings, and the 1-2 foot size is the cheapest way to cover acreage.

Good to Know About Elderberry

Cook the berries before you eat them. Raw berries, plus the leaves, stems and roots, contain compounds that can make you sick, and unripe fruit is the worst. The wood is weak, so ice and wind snap stems. And suckers pop up all around the clump, so plan on trimming them each spring if you want it tidy.

Elderberry for Berry Growers and Hedgerows

Elderberry flowers on second-year wood, so avoid cutting every stem back hard each year if you want fruit. Remove some of the oldest canes at the base and let the younger ones carry the crop. Plants set 6 to 8 feet apart close into a hedge within a few seasons, and birds will often get to the berries before you do unless you net them.

Elderberry Shrub Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Elderberry shrubs ship bare-root in November, in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes and packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more wholesale shrubs.