Elderberry shrubs

 Well it took me a bit and a lot of batteries, but I finally got some elderberry pictures in case anyone was going to check around.

 They can be used as a shrub in the yard like this young one..

Yes.. those are bowling balls. Slight problem with tractors missing the road entirely and cruising through the yard. It is hard to adjust those headphone/radio do-hickeys and drive at the same time.

 That is planted in full sun, partially on the edge where the water runoff is along the street. When you plant Elderberry in full sun, the berry crop ripens more quickly. This one was done awhile ago and didn't have much to offer. It is trying to bounce back from heavy borer damage.

 A little ways down the street, between the road and the forest is this lovely group..

 The berries

 The leaves

  It is a pretty easy to control shrub, but it does not appreciate the traffic of a lawn mower or the nicks of a weed whacker. It also does not handle many chemicals well.  They can send out suckers, but not obnoxiously.

 In case you are curious about the nutritional value of these little gems..

 When I gather them, I bring clippers and snip off the cluster. They set fruit on that year's new growth, so it does not effect next year's crop. In the spring, they do well with a little well aged compost but overall this shrub can handle a pretty decent range of soil conditions.

 It is considered a honey plant. The bees worked them daily, but they bloom when a lot of other flowers are at full force as well. 

 As always, make sure to positively ID a plant before snacking on it.

 I'll be asking DV for permission to gather a few of those beauties so I can plant the seeds. I have just the spot to put a large group on the north side. That will be on our property bordering DV's place.. and as well an ideal location for hives later. 


 Next up for me is trying to get some chestnuts. The darn squirrels have snapped almost every one up! I managed to get 2.. and hoping to find a few more.