Black Elderberry

vickeym
vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 2020 in Growing Medicinals

Are there any members in the 3B growing zone that have tried growing black elderberry? I live in rural Alaska. We have red elderberry that grows wild here. Was wondering if anyone had tried growing the black elderberry in colder climates like mine?

Comments

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    Hi @vickeym

    Great question. It seems like they would.

    If the black elderberries don't grow well. I wonder if the blacks could be grafted to the red? The reds being able to withstand colder temps. The aerial portion producing the delicious medicinal fruit...

    keep us posted :)

  • EarlKelly
    EarlKelly Posts: 230 ✭✭✭

    As far as I know the black elderberry grows in grow zones 3 to 8. You should be good. Where bouts in Alaska? Might be planning a trip there either this year or next. Something I have always wanted to do. Good luck

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @vickeym In my experience, elderberries will grow to Zone 3 but should get protection from winter winds. That is what seems to take mine back to the roots sometimes. This year we had very cold temperatures before there was much snow so we will see how they do. Should do well for you but maybe have them on a sunny side of a building out of the prevailing winds.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022

    @EarlKelly A small town/village called Talkeetna. The town that for many years had a cat for a mayor. He past away a few years ago. Also the town that the old show Northern Exposure was based on (according to the stories as well as a few long time locals.)

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022

    @torey That is good to know. Looking forward to trying it here. May have to rethink where I wanted to plant them though. Thanks for the information.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022

    @Hassena I believe, if I can find someway to get some plants I will have to give both ways a try and see which works best for me. I found some through Burpee Seeds, but it says they cannot ship them here. May have to just get seeds and see what I can do with them.

  • MissPatricia
    MissPatricia Posts: 318 ✭✭✭

    I bought several varieties of elderberry. Now that I know what the plant looks like, I realize that I already had some elderberry growing on my property. Am I safe in using the flowers and fruit of it? I know that in Europe, they have a variety that is not safe (I think).

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @MissPatricia If you have blue or black elderberries they are safe to use. It is the red elderberry that you have to be concerned with.

  • MissPatricia
    MissPatricia Posts: 318 ✭✭✭

    Thank you, Torey. Color should be easy.:)

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin
    edited August 2022

    @torey We found a red elderberry at someone's place in town when cleaning up her yard. If we found a healthy old one there, we shouldn't have any issue growing the other colors here, should we?

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @LaurieLovesLearning Red elderberry is much hardier than either the blue or the black varieties. I've seen the red growing high up in the mountains here where it is likely down to at least zone 2, if not 1 or 0.

    My black elderberries won't be producing any fruit this year. I had a couple of flower heads form but they were so late that the berries likely won't mature and it wouldn't be enough to do anything with. I've only once had a bumper crop from them and a couple of times have had a very small crop.

    I have located a few bushes in the town that we use for shopping. They are a zone (or two) warmer than us. So I might be doing some "midnight" harvesting. 🤣

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey If you have any friends in that town, maybe you could "gift" some rooted cuttings from your bushes and talk them into growing if you promise to come "help" harvest. :)

  • nicksamanda11
    nicksamanda11 Posts: 755 ✭✭✭✭

    Not me