Red, White and Blue
A celebration of the Elderberry Shrubs
In my region, we have two species of elderberry shrubs that can be incorporated into a naturalized backyard. These native plants provide large white blossoms for hummingbirds and pollinators in the spring and birds devour the berries in the fall. Many species of birds will eat the berries including orioles, grosbeaks, red-eyed vireos, catbirds, waxwings, tanagers and warblers.
In more shaded yards and the northern half of Minnesota, the red elderberry or red-berried elder is the more prevalent shrub. A good description of this plant can be found on the Three Rivers Parks website:
This elder is the more shade tolerant of the two and can be found in the understory of open forests (though it won’t do well under dense shade). It doesn’t like droughty conditions, but it can tolerate a variety of other soils, including very wet soil, making streambank areas a likely location to find this plant.
Red-berried elder does form thickets due to its ability to root sprout, but simply clipping these off at the ground is a good way to keep this plant in check in a more formal landscape. It is very noticeable in spring as it flowers before most other plants have leafed out (usually May-June). In fact, the fruit of this shrub will be bright red when the common elderberry is just flowering.
I have a couple of naturally occurring plants that I have incorporated into my garden beds. They have soft stems making them easy to prune and shape so they can take on a more look cultivated look if desired.
The Common Elderberry likes to grow in open areas with full sun. It overlaps with the red species in central Minnesota and is abundant in the southern part of the state. A description from the Three Rivers Parks website states:
This species is mainly found in open areas because it is quite intolerant of shade or other competition. We frequently see this plant growing in clumps in open fields or along forest edges or roads. It, too, can wander from its original planting location due to root sprouting. Similar to red-berried elder, it can tolerate some wet soil conditions, but it is not very good at coping with droughty locations. One distinct difference between the two is flowering time. Common elderberry flowers during the summer (July-August), compared to early spring for red-berried elder.
The bluish-purple berries from the common species are the ones used to make the commercial elderberry syrup that is now popular for supporting the immune system in fighting colds and flu. They are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. All in all, the red or common elderberry shrubs are great additions to a naturalized setting.
