Garden Tips: Elderberries have big upside, just be sure to cook them

This winter I have been taking elderberry extract in hope of boosting my immune system and warding off cold and flu viruses. In fact, local drugstores have not been able to keep up with the demand for elderberry supplements from people like me. I especially like the tasty elderberry syrup. This must be why elderberries were once a popular fruit for making jam, jelly, syrup and wine.

Does this mean that elderberries are a garden fruit that has simply gone out of fashion? Not really. The American elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) is a wild shrub native to the eastern United States and Canada. It was generally considered a weedy shrub, but was tolerated because of its great-tasting, tart berries. The blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea) and red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa) are native to the western United States, and the European black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is native to Europe.

Elderberries are fairly easy shrubs to grow and have few pest problems except for birds. They are not fussy about soil type, fertility or pH, but they grow best with good drainage and adequate moisture. While they will tolerate partial shade, elderberries are more productive when located in full sun. Most of the varieties grown specifically for their fruit production are very hardy, with a USDA Hardiness Zone rating of 4 or less. Because birds are such big fans of elderberries, gardeners may need to protect their crop with netting. The biggest drawback in growing elderberry shrubs is their size. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, elderberries can reach a height of 6 to 10 feet and width of 6 to 12 feet.

Gardeners who are serious about growing elderberries for their fruit will want to plant several plants or more in a hedge row with at least two different varieties planted 60 feet or less apart. This is because elderberries are wind pollinated and produce some fruit without the benefit of cross-pollination, but fruit production can be improved by the cross pollination of two different varieties.

Most of the work in growing elderberries goes into pruning. Elderberry plants send up numerous canes, creating a dense thicket after several years. Because the canes produce fruit mostly in their second and third years, gardeners should prune out dead, broken or weak canes, or any older than three years in early spring. This encourages the growth of new canes that are more productive. It is recommended that you let elderberry plants become established for at least three years before starting annual pruning.

There are a number of productive elderberry varieties for sale to home gardeners from various mail-order or on-line outlets, such as Stark Brothers (starkbros.com), Raintree Nursery (raintreenursery.com) and One Green World (onegreenworld.com)

Finally, it is crucial for me to point out that ALL parts of elderberry plants contain a cyanide-inducing glycoside and are toxic to humans. Only the cooked ripe blue or purple berries of the American elderberry, blue elderberry or European black elderberry should be considered edible. While the seeds in the fruit also contain the toxic glycosides, they are destroyed by heat. The red berries of red elderberry should be regarded as toxic along with the roots, stems, berry stems, leaves and unripe fruit of all elderberries.

This story was originally published March 17, 2018 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Garden Tips: Elderberries have big upside, just be sure to cook them."