After this past summer, we knew you would want us to add the drought tolerant Ranch elderberry to our offerings. The Ranch elderberry is a great choice for less than perfect growing conditions. It grows in most soil types and is one of the most tolerant elderberries to non-fertile soils. It is cold-hardy to zone 3 and pest-tolerant.
It is one of the shorter cultivars of elderberries, growing to be only 5′ to 6′ tall, so the berries will be easier to pick. And it makes a great shrub that hosts a show of white flowers in the spring.
Ranch elderberry is a wild elderberry plant that was discovered growing inside an abandoned and dilapidated house back in the 1800’s. Now, with that said, be aware that many wild elderberries can be toxic even when cooked. So, it is best to stick with planting known cultivars such as Ranch or Bob Gordon’s. Even though they come from wild bushes, they are known to be safe for consumption.
Elderberries have a lot of nutritional value for humans, but they also provide a good food source for wildlife. So, it is a great shrub to plant around the edges of your property, edges of wooded areas, and on the sides of outbuildings. Just be aware if you have young children around that elderberry plants are poisonous to humans, and so are the berries before they are cooked.
This elderberry is self-pollinating, but it will have a better crop if it has a pollinator. Pollinate with Bob Gordon.
Buyers should be aware that all parts of the elderberry plant are poisonous, including the berries when they are raw. Elderberries MUST be cooked to be eaten. DO NOT EAT THEM RAW! This goes for all elderberries.
These plants are BLACK elderberry plants. DO NOT EVER consume the berries from wild RED elderberry plants as they metabolize into cyanide in the stomach.
