Black elder cutting

Black elder is valued for its fragrant flowers (cordials, syrups) and black berries, used cooked. Raw or unripe berries and the leaves must not be eaten.

• Botanical name: Sambucus nigra

• Type: large deciduous fruiting shrub or small tree

• Height: 3–6 m

• Flowering: May–June

• Harvest: August–September

• Fruit: flowers for cordials and syrups; black berries, cooked only — syrups, jams

• Pollination: Partly self-fertile; crops better with a second plant nearby.

• Winter care: fully hardy (down to −25 °C) — overwinters outdoors

• Position: Sun / partial shade

• Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained

• Planting: March–May or September–November, when the ground is not frozen; plant at the same depth as in the growing medium and water thoroughly

• Pack: 1 rooted cutting in growing medium