Just bought an elderberry bush!

[emma303]

I'm excited and wanted to share my excitement. It probably won't arrive until fall, but I never see them around here (Colorado) so I'm... actually quite delighted. That's all!

[Brewtrog]

Congrats to you.
At first I was confused at why someone would buy one, they are quite common in the UK, then I read that you were based in colorado. Elderberry wine is gorgeous (if you can spare the flowers)

[Green Aura]

Make sure you put it somewhere where it doesn't matter if it spreads. I'm not sure if it's the birds spreading the seeds or runners or how they do it but they can spread like wildfire when established. Hence there being no shortage over here.

[MKG]

As anyone who parks their car in the open within a half-mile of an elderberry bush can tell you, it's birds who do the spreading job. Apart from that, they're all but indestructible. You can cut 'em right down to the ground and still get a good crop of elderberries next year.

What I really want to know, though, is how they know where the most inaccessible parts of the garden are - because that's where they always grow.

EDIT: Don't get me wrong - if I had my way, I'd be growing acres of them and producing elderberry wine in huge quantities every year.

[diggernotdreamer]

The elder is a tall shrub, if you want to harvest the flowers and or berries, keep it pruned to a height you can reach, it makes much bigger flowers and berries when kept trimmed up

[Green Aura]

Well I never knew that!

[Zech]

I had one elder tree in my garden that was too tall to harvest from. I cut it back to about three feet tall, but it doesn't seem to have survived - there's no sign of any shoots. Luckily, the bits I cut off and stuck in some soil all seem to be thriving, so in a year or two I should have a whole hedge of elder Now I just need some blackthorn to go with it, as the bits I put in have died, I think.

[doofaloofa]

i got our main elder from a job iwas on

The tree was growing ontopof the wall of astone built shed with no roof,and had been rooted out to renovate the building

I dug a hole put her in and now she must be 20' high

you must be aware of the magical connotation of the Hag tree?

[doofaloofa]

I love your idea of making an elder hedge DnD

I have had good success with cuttings without hormone, so i imagine propogation would be easy enough

[diggernotdreamer]

it grew lovely big flowers and berries, .......................wt? are you calling me a hag

[doofaloofa]

Post pics of your bush and let the public decide