Wild Michigan Elderberry

Thrives in wet soil. Elderberries delight in wet, spongy sites where most plants won’t make it. Petite lemon-scented flowers appear in June (and make delightful tea). The purple-black fruit grows in cymes (large clusters featuring mini-branchlets that bear the fruit), making them easy to access and harvest. Grows well in partial shade. Exquisite for jelly, pie, wine, syrup and tinctures. Spreads by root suckers to form colonies (free plants!). Rejuvenate by cutting to within 4” of the ground every five years. Ripens in August. Best pollinator: any other elderberry variety. Note: This is a propagated wild berry and not a cultivar. Sambuca canadensis. Photo courtesy of B. S. Roberts.