Hardly any shrub is so deeply rooted in folk culture as the black elder. The elder stood by almost every farmhouse in the past, was considered a protective tree and a home pharmacy and delivered two completely different harvests a year. This double use makes it to this day one of the most rewarding wild-fruit shrubs for the garden.
In early summer the cream-white flower umbels smell bewitching and can be processed into cordial, jelly and the crisp elderflower fritters. In late summer follow the black, glossy berries, packed with vitamins. But for all the joy there is one important rule to heed, for raw the elder is to be enjoyed with caution. This article shows you both harvests and how to process them safely.
Two harvests from one shrub
The elder is a double talent. The first harvest is the flowers. From weeks 22 to 25 the large, flat, cream-white flower umbels open and give off their typical, sweetish scent. You harvest them on a dry, sunny morning when they are fully open and carry the most aroma. Only shake the umbels out before processing, do not wash them, or you rinse off the aromatic pollen.
The second harvest is the berries. From the pollinated flowers, glossy black berries develop over the summer that hang down in heavy umbels in September. They are brimming with vitamin C, anthocyanins and other healthy ingredients and are traditionally processed into juice, jelly, puree, soup and liqueur. A glass of elderberry juice in winter has long been considered a tonic against colds.
The important warning: poisonous raw
As healthy as the processed elder is, so indigestible is it raw. All green parts of the plant, unripe berries and even the raw ripe berries contain the substance sambunigrin, which can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Whoever tastes the odd raw berry while harvesting risks an upset stomach.
The good news: the problem disappears completely through heating. Boiled elderberry juice, cooked jelly and hot-prepared cordial are entirely harmless and time-tested over centuries. The only important thing is that you never process the berries raw, for instance in a cold smoothie, but always boil them through.
Undemanding and valuable for nature
Growing elder is about as easy as it gets, for hardly anything is less demanding. It grows on almost any soil, tolerates sun as well as part-shade and is absolutely hardy. It likes best a nutrient-rich, rather moist soil, where it quickly grows into a large, spreading shrub. An elder is often man-high and productive after just a few years.
Why the elder is so valuable
- Early bee forage
The large flower umbels in early summer are rich in nectar and pollen and attract countless insects. The elder hums with life in the flowering time.
- Bird paradise
The black berries are popular with over sixty bird species. What you do not harvest feeds blackbirds, starlings and warblers in autumn.
- Extremely easy-care
Elder needs no care except an occasional cutback. Diseases and pests play practically no role, it is indestructible.
- Fast and tolerant of pruning
It grows rapidly and tolerates even a radical cutback, from which it sprouts strongly again. That way it stays young and in shape.
A hard cutback in winter keeps the elder healthy and productive. Since it flowers and fruits best on the one-year-old shoots, you can safely remove older wood at ground level. That way the shrub constantly rejuvenates and stays in reach for harvesting, instead of shooting up.
Two harvests from one shrub, flower and berry, both to be enjoyed only heated. Undemanding, vigorous and a blessing for insects and birds, the elder is a must for the nibble garden.
The core rule for the elder
Frequently asked questions
Are elderberries poisonous?
Raw yes, mildly. Raw and unripe berries as well as all green parts of the plant contain sambunigrin and can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Heating destroys the substance. Boiled juice, jelly and hot-prepared cordial are entirely harmless.
When do you harvest elderflowers and elderberries?
The flowers in early summer, weeks 22 to 25, when the umbels are fully open, best on a dry, sunny morning. The berries ripen in September and are harvested when they are deep black and the umbels heavy.
What can you make from elder?
From the flowers cordial, jelly, tea and fried fritters. From the berries juice, jelly, puree, fruit soup and liqueur. Both are traditionally processed heated, which at the same time removes the raw toxicity of the berries.
How do you prune elder?
Hard and in winter. Since elder flowers and fruits best on one-year-old shoots, you can remove older wood at ground level. The shrub tolerates even a radical cutback and sprouts strongly again. That way it stays young and within reach.
What site does elder need?
It is very undemanding and grows on almost any soil, sunny as well as part-shaded. It is most vigorous on nutrient-rich, rather moist soil. Elder is absolutely hardy and is barely attacked by diseases or pests.
