Sambucus mexicana

Mexican Elderberry

Plant family: Caprifoliaccae - Honeysuckle

Rating:

Plant type: Shrub

Plant origin: N/A, California

 
Container Avail Qty Add to
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Price
24 inch box natural 0   259.99
Fifteen Gallon 0   99.99
One Gallon 0   12.99
Five gallon - Natural 0   34.99

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Flower Color White
Blooming Season Spring, Summer
Height 25-40 feet
Spread 15-30 feet
Sun / Shade   
Monthly Water
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Wildlife Friendliness Rating
Plant Community > Learn More

Sub-Alpine Forest

Best Soil Conditions > Learn More

Clay, Decomposed Granite, Sand, Sandy Loam

Special Characteristic

Autumn Foliage, Edible , Exceptional Fragrance, Hedges and Screens, Important to Native People, Tolerant of Clay Soil

Plant Highlights

Blue Elderberry is a beautiful shrub, or tree, that produces edible fruit and is loved by wildlife. This shrub grows in rounded, convex fashion, producing large clusters of cream to white flowers, which ripen to edible berries in the summer. If you would like to wake up to the sound of happy birds then be sure to plant one! The fruit is adored by birds, while bees and other native pollinators. are especially fond of the white flowers.
(Watch for our August blog to find out why!)
The leaves are a lighter shade of medium green, having small serrated edges around the tips. Elderberry can adapt to most any climate and soil conditions, though some irrigation is needed to establish. Elderberry is fast growing and can reach 25'-30' high and spread about 20' so give this shrub room to grow. It is very adaptable, thriving beside a stream, water source or irrigated lawn, but will also survive drought conditions once established. In drought conditions it will drop its leaves, or many of them, in the late summer and fall, greening up again with the winter rains and cooler temperatures. The berries can be used for jams and jellies, juices and wines, but be sure to make sure you select nice ripe berries. The leaves, stems and bark of Elderberry are poisonous. Elderberry has also been used extensively in medicinal treatments.

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Comments

Purchased as a one gallon and put in the ground just as summer was getting started. Since this is a water-loving native I chose to water it much more regularly than other natives as it got established. It is the end of August now and in just a few months this plant has grown easily 5x the size it was to make a nice small full green bush. It didn't blink during the summer heat and grew at an impressive rate. I cannot wait to watch it keep growing! I bought several lilac and manzanita at the same time that didn't grow at all this summer, so watching the Elderberry take off running is a real treat!

Posed by: Amanda Valadao, on Aug 20 2024 12:27PM

Rating:
Post:#94