Hardy Edibles

Adoxaceae

blue elder

Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea

blue elder

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Wsiegmund assumed (based on copyright claims). — CC BY 2.5 · source

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9

Survives zone 6 through 9

⚠ Elder MUST BE COOKED (raw berries/leaves/stems toxic). Highbush cranberry musty when overripe — pick slightly under and cook.

Hardiness
Zone 6 to 9
Habit
Shrub
Edible part
Leaf, Fruit
Ripens
Aug–Sept
Mature size
Shrub 2–4 m; containerable when young
Light
Full sun to partial
Soil pH
5.5–7.0
Environment
Temperate
Status
Both wild and cultivated
Years to fruit
2–3 yrs
Pollination
Self-fertile but BETTER WITH A PARTNER — plant 2 cultivars