Elderberry, Blue - Sambucus cerulea

A medium to large shrub with a broad crown and straight trunk from 2 to 4 meters (6 to 13 feet) tall; bark is thick, irregularly ridged/furrowed, sometimes scaly, dark brown to reddish-brown; branches are stout, spreading, green and hairy when young becoming light brown and smooth with age, with triangular leaf scars and a thick white pith; leaves are opposite, deciduous, pinnate compound composed of 5 to 9 leaflets which are broadest at middle, rounded at base, pointed at tip and coarsely toothed along edge; flowers produced in broad, spreading, flat-topped yellowish-white clusters; fruit berries, dark blue to black and covered with a wax-like coating making berries appear pale blue, with 3-5 seeds per berry. Habitat is along banks, washes of streams, fence rows, rocky pastures and other drier riparian locations on well drained moist soils at mid elevations. Collect fruit in August and September, fresh fruit can be processed through a macerator and the pulp and empty seed floated off with water, or the fruit may be dried, rubbed down, and the seed applied directly in this form; processed seed can be stored for several years at 5°C; Recommendations for sexual propagation include storing dry seed at room temperature for 450 days, followed by cold stratification at 1°C (34°F) for 90 to 100 days prior to sowing, spring sowing recommendations include 3 days of presoaking, followed by stratification in vermiculite for 90 days at 5°C, sow to a depth of 0.6 centimeter (0.25 inch) and cover with a thin layer of sawdust, use mulch on fall-sown seed; other recommendations include direct fall sowing soon after collection, or warm stratification for 10 weeks followed by prechilling for 12 weeks at 20 to 30°C and sown in spring.

Greenhouse asexual propagation can be by either hardwood stem cuttings that include two-year-wood heel or softwood cuttings taken in June to July. The softwood cuttings are placed in vermiculite under mist with 60% shade for several weeks and will root approximately 30% of cuttings. Young seedlings can be transplanted at 1 to 2 years of age.

Field propagation by dormant unrooted hardwood cuttings is somewhat successful. Cuttings taken from the previous season’s growth during the winter are best. Always take with a heel to prevent exposure of the pith.

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Last Modified: 07/05/2007