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I have several garden varieties of elder in my garden, the red and very yellow leaved varieties with pink and yellow umbellifer flowers. Rather than forage in Fenland (which is quite sparse for elderflowers my neck of the woods) can i use these? Does anyone know?

The flowers and berries of any variety of Sambucus can be used to make wine. NB - that's as far as I know or can ascertain.

I've never used anything but the common elder, but I've heard reports that the pink flowers are not as aromatic as the common ones (so use more flowers, I suppose). Yellow ones I don't know anything about.

Mike

Do you know the latin names for either of them? If you do, then have a look here: http://www.pfaf.org/database/search_nam ... S=Sambucus

One is sambucas nigra, the other I can't find. You are right, they are not as smelly, though very pretty! I may have to forage the only 3 hedges in Fenland for real Elderflower to make my wine, though I could just fall back on dandelions... I might try them anyway, they are such a nice pink colour!

I had the pink flowered, black leaved decorative kind and the flowers had a very strong smell, completely different to the wild ordinary hedgerow elder. They then never formed berries!!! I presume the insects didn't like them?!