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Favorite Elderberry Cultivars?

Timothy Norton

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posted 10 months ago

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I have recently made the decision to get some elderberry shrubs for my property and have realized that an elderberry is not just an elderberry.

There seems to be a variety of cultivars that have been in production for many years out there. I have recently got my hands on an 'Adams' American Elderberry and have been looking for another type to help with pollination.

I have seen 'Adams', 'Bob Gordon', 'Whyldewood', 'Nova', 'Scotia', 'Johns', 'York', 'Ranch', 'Kent' and many many more. That is just for American Elderberry!

My question is, what are your favorite elderberry cultivars? Why?

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Matt McSpadden

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Location: Central Maine (Zone 5a)

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posted 10 months ago

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I don't have a favorite, as I have only ever grown an unknown variety. But I am very interested in the answer. I did read about one variety that was supposed to stay more upright like a hedge, rather than round like a bush. And it was used in larger operations in rows and could be mowed down at the end of the year, and it would grow and produce berries the next. I can't remember the name though.

I did find this article which has some good info on varieties. https://shop.farmoncentral.com/blogs/around-the-farm/which-elderberry-should-i-grow

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Timothy Norton

Steward of piddlers

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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posted 10 months ago

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Overview on the "Adams" Elderberry

The "Adams" cultivar is a well known variety that produces sizeable berries and tolerates the cold quite well. It is stated that the cultivar is the result of a 1920s breeding project that happened in New York State.

Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-10'
USDA Zone: 3-9
Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade

(source)

craig howard

pollinator

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Location: zone 5-5

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posted 10 months ago

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My Adams and York both get dark along the edges and die.
I got some mystery cuttings from a guy last year and they are doing well.

Got some Bob Gordons this spring and they seem to be doing well.
The farmer that I got Bobs from said they were his favorite.
Kinda scowled at the Yorks and Adams, which have been doing a good job of dying at my place.

Timothy Norton

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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An overview of the "Johns" Elderberry. (1954)

The "Johns" cultivar known for growing large clusters of dark berries. This type is regarded to be a vigorous grower and low maintenance. This type of elderberry is considered to be an early bearing variety.

(source)

Timothy Norton

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posted 10 months ago

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This video reviews four varieties. - Adams, Bob Gordan, Pocahontas, and Arthur's Point Select

Timothy Norton

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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Edible Acres has a video out on the different varieties of elderberries.

Timothy Norton

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Location: Upstate New York, Zone 5b, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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The University at Missouri Extension Office has a 19 minute video out on Elderberry cultivars. It is a trove of information.

Specific information is discussed for the following varieties. - Ranch, Bob Gordon, Wyldewood, Pocahontas, and Marge.

Megan Palmer

gardener

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Location: Zone 9A, 45S 168E, 329m Queenstown, NZ

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posted 3 months ago

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It's elderberry season in the southern hemisphere and picked some berries to make syrup.

The trees at the community garden are un named European cultivars that grew from seeds that the birds have deposited.

The University of Missouri extension office video prompted me to dig out my refractometer and was pleasantly surprised that the juice was 12.9 Brix.

The berry and umbel sizes vary on each of the trees as does the flavour - sampled a few raw and they're mildly sweet.

The berries were frozen overnight to make them easier to strip off the umbels.

Am simmering them with some ginger and a cinnamon quill and will make the syrup up tomorrow.

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Nancy Reading

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Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year

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posted 3 months ago

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Megan Palmer wrote:The berries were frozen overnight to make them easier to strip off the umbels.

That's a good trick!

Most of my elder bushes come from a tree that flowered and fruited well near my allotment in Solihull. Just a random bush as far as I know. Unfortunately, although it flowers well, it doesn't seem to set fruit much....I also have a variety that is supposed to be a good fruiter from Denmark, and some taken from local trees. None of them fruit very well as yet, I'm hoping that one year the weather and the insects and the bushes all will align for a good crop. In the meantime, I enjoy elderflower cordial, and dry the flowers for tea and for adding to jams and jellies.

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David Koperty

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posted 3 months ago

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I’ve found that mixing early- and late-blooming cultivars improves pollination and yields, so planting two vigorous, disease-resistant varieties that flower at slightly different times is a smart way to ensure reliable harvests.

Karen Allen

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posted 1 week ago

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Hey Permies -
As long as we are talking about elderberries, can we talk about stem strength? I planted an elderberry 4 years ago (unknown varietal) that grows like crazy - lots of stems, lots of florets, lots of fruit set.... The growth is very vigorous, with many long green shoots and leaves. The first 2 years were good, but as size increases, it seems to be putting weight on the limbs that it is too fragile to sustain - they crack or just break off. This has happened in the late spring into summer for the past 2 years. Yesterday a limb about the same circumference as my wrist cracked and split, bringing down about a quarter of the shrub. There was some wind but not enough to account for this.

Is this just the way elderberries grow? Or have I gotten an especially fragile varietal? Or could this be related to mineral content in soil? Or probably 87 other things I don't even know to ask about?

C'mon elderberry enthusiasts - help me out. I will be planting additional elderberries later this year, and I sure would like to understand this better before I do...
Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

Joao Winckler

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posted 1 week ago

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Karen, the stem breakage sounds like it might just be the nature of the variety rather than a problem to fix. Elderberries generally have pretty brittle wood and the more vigorous the growth the worse it gets. Some people cut the whole thing back hard every couple of years to reset it and get stronger new canes, rather than trying to prop up the old ones.

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Nancy Reading

steward and tree herder

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Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland. Nearly 70 inches rain a year

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Hi Karen, I think Joao has given you good advice. I think your elderberry is just too happy. I often get strong new growth broken off the main shrub though, so I don't know if cutting it back will help a great deal. You could try cutting it back half in length in summer, so that the growth is shorter overall. It sounds like it would be an ideal woody chop and drop plant for you for generating biomass.

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