Black elderberry - planting and caring for yourself in the garden. Planting black elderberry on a plot with seeds or cuttings When to plant black elderberry
Black elderberry is a common shrub in forests. But, nevertheless, there are also cultivated species that are successfully used as ornamental plants in gardens and personal plots.
Black elderberry occurs as a shrub or tree with ornamental leaves, lacy inflorescences of fragrant flowers and elegant black fruits. It can reach a height of 3 to 7 m. This long-lived plant grows up to 60 years. In nature, black elderberry is found in northern Africa, temperate zones of Asia, Europe and Transcaucasia. Today, a large number of decorative elderberry species are used in landscape design:
- pyramidal with a columnar crown;
- weeping with drooping branches;
- low in the form of a small ball up to a meter high;
- fern-leaved with thin split leaves with a musk aroma;
- porphyroleaf with purple or black leaves and pink flowers;
- golden-motley, white-motley or powdery and many others.
You can plant black elderberry by sowing fresh seeds. This is done in the fall by sowing directly into the ground. You can sow elderberry seeds in the spring, but only after 3-4 months of stratification. Black elderberry also takes cuttings well. The ideal time for this would be the end of June or the beginning of July. It will be possible to plant cuttings directly into the ground in the fall. Elderberry is also easily propagated by layering.
Conditions for growing black elderberry
Elderberry is a light-loving plant, so it is better to plant it in sunny places. In this case, its foliage will be rich and bright, especially in decorative forms. In addition, she loves fertile and fairly moist soils. You should not plant elderberry in places unprotected from cold winds with little snow cover in winter.
Black elderberry care
It is recommended to rejuvenate adult representatives of elderberry. The best time for this is early spring. To stimulate extensive growth of new shoots, it is enough to cut off a third of the old shoots.
Elderberry also loves organic fertilizers, but it is best to fertilize it in early summer. In this case, the new shoots will have time to become woody and will not freeze in winter. However, organic matter can be added in late autumn, pouring it in a small layer into the tree trunk circle. In this way, the elderberry root system is also insulated.
Diseases and elderberry
When touched, elderberry leaves emit a characteristic odor. It is believed that harmful insects do not like it even on nearby plants. Therefore, elderberries have few pests, but they still exist. These include the elderberry leaf miner and the elderberry leaf mite. Spraying with karbofos, decis or kinmiks will help get rid of the first, and spraying with metak or fitoverm will help get rid of the second.
Since ancient times, black elderberry has been considered a sacred tree. In modern medicine, its medicinal properties are used in the treatment of many diseases. For this purpose, its leaves, bark, roots, flowers and berries are collected, dried or dried, stored and used.
Black elderberry is used for medicinal purposes due to its high content of ascorbic acid and essential oils, glycosidic substances and tannins, sugar and choline. Traditional medicine uses elderberry to treat rheumatism, colds, intestinal diseases, radiculitis, stomach, gout, skin diseases, kidney diseases and many other diseases.
In ordinary life, from the berries of this plant you can make very tasty and most importantly healthy jams, jelly, syrups, compotes, mousses, jams and even berry wine.
Black elderberry is certainly not a typical ornamental plant for decorating the garden, but it can be a wonderful addition to the most sophisticated landscape. Its beauty will first appear in huge inflorescences of small and fragrant yellowish-white flowers, which will delight you with flowering for three weeks. Then - in blue-black fruits, which will decorate the branched bush with dark green large leaves with umbrellas.
The elderberry family has about forty species. At our latitudes, black elderberry is most often planted.
It is considered the most decorative variety; in addition, elderberries and flowers are used for medicinal purposes.
Proper planting of elderberry
Since ancient times, the elderberry has not been deprived of attention; it was planted near the house; it was believed that the elderberry ward off evil spirits. A properly planted and well-groomed shrub will over time delight you with lush flowering and a good harvest of berries.
Did you know? IN In ancient times, the peoples of the Balkans, performing rituals to call for rain, used elderberry branches in their rituals. Together with other plants, they dressed up a ritual doll; at the end of the ritual, the branches were removed and put into the water.
Choosing a place to plant an elderberry seedling
Elderberry is not a capricious plant, but loves good light. Find a well-lit place for it on the north or east side of the site. The plant tolerates light shade, but constant exposure to shade interferes with full development.
Important! Elderberry varieties with brightly colored foliage are planted only in sunny areas, otherwise the plant fades and loses its entire decorative appearance.
Elderberry relates well to its neighbors; in addition, fruit or ornamental flowering bushes and trees growing nearby will contribute to cross-pollination. This plant repels insects, so it is often planted next to an outdoor toilet or compost pit.
When and how to plant correctly
Best suited for growing black elderberry loamy soil. If the soil in your area is acidic, treat it with lime. Elderberry planting occurs in spring and autumn, in warm weather. A hole is dug half a meter deep and fertilized with organic and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. Before planting, the soil at the bottom of the hole must be loosened. The seedling is placed in the hole without deepening the root collar. Then sprinkle with clean soil, and fertilized on top and compact it. The seedling needs to be watered with 10 liters of water, after the soil and water have settled, tie the seedling to a peg. Until the plant takes root and takes root, it needs to be watered frequently. In the third year of life, the bush will give color.
Some features of caring for black elderberry
Caring for elderberry is not difficult, the main thing is that it has enough light, moisture and timely pruning. This plant will decorate any garden with its color, and the glossy ink-colored berries on pink branches will satisfy even the most sophisticated taste.
Interesting fact! Our Slavic ancestors made amulets from elderberry branches, decorated their houses and gates, fences and other courtyard buildings with them. On the eve of Ivan Kupala, elderberry branches protected people and their homes from witches and other dark forces.
Watering the soil
Elderberry tolerates drought well, but moist soil without stagnant water is preferable for it. Young plants need frequent watering, while adults make do with rain. If the summer does not indulge in precipitation, then additional watering is necessary. Particular care must be taken to monitor soil moisture during the period of fruit set. In dry and hot weather, water the bush with 15 liters of water once a week. The basic rule in watering: the soil under the bush should not dry out. After watering, the soil needs to be loosened and cleared of weeds so that the elderberry root system breathes easily and is not deprived of nutrients.
When and with what to fertilize the soil
In rich nutritious soil, elderberry develops without fertilizing. But in early spring after winter vitamin deficiency and during the summer flowering period, nitrogen fertilizing will not be superfluous. Solid fertilizers are scattered around the trunk and incorporated into the soil by harrowing; liquid formulations are applied during watering.
Among organic fertilizers, manure or compost, chicken manure, as well as infusions of manure and droppings are preferable. Mineral fertilizers are needed if the plant begins to grow slowly or becomes weak. In this case, a complex of mineral mixtures is added along with watering. You can also strengthen a weakened plant with urea. By following these simple procedures, in the summer you will enjoy the lush clusters of black elderberry flowers, and in the fall you will reap a rich harvest of healthy fruits.
Proper pruning
In early spring, sanitary pruning of damaged or frozen branches is carried out. Once every five years, radical pruning is carried out to rejuvenate old bushes. Cut short, leaving a quarter of the trunk. Thus, new branches grow and the trunk bark rejuvenates.
Small pruning is done to form the crown. There is no need to think long about how to prune black elderberry. Even if you accidentally cut off more than you planned, the bush will quickly recover. In a few months, the elderberry will sprout new shoots.
Pruning is especially necessary for elderberry varieties that bear fruit. At the age of six, the bushes stop setting fruit.
Reproduction methods
The optimal method for propagating black elderberry is vegetative; with the seed method, species and varietal properties are rarely preserved.
Seeds
Propagation by seeds is quite easy. Prepare the soil in advance, clear it of weeds, dig it with fertilizer, and loosen it with a rake. In October, collect the seeds and sow them in beds three centimeters deep at a distance of 25 cm from each other. Moisten the sowing. At the end of autumn, the crops will grow up to 50 cm. For spring sowing, seeds must undergo a stratification process.
Soak the seeds for five days, constantly changing the water. After this, place them in an airtight container with damp sand and store them in the refrigerator for about two months. This improves seed germination. When the expiration date has expired, remove from the refrigerator and store in a dry place. Spring planting is carried out in the same way as in autumn.
Cuttings
Green cuttings are planted in greenhouse conditions, sprinkling the soil with a mixture of sand and peat. When the seedlings become stronger, they are transplanted into open soil. A hole is made 50x50, humus, potassium sulfate and double superphosphate are added to the bottom. There is no need to bury the seedling. The distance between them should be two meters. After planting, it is necessary to water.
Lignified cuttings are planted immediately in a permanent place, in the same way as green ones. After a black elderberry seedling has been planted, it needs proper care - regular watering and loosening around the trunk. If woody cuttings were not planted in the fall, they should be stored in the cold and planted in the ground in the spring.
People have known about elderberry for a long time. In the old days, it was considered a magical and healing plant, endowed with witchcraft powers, the ability to heal various ailments, and even prolong life. In Rus', they always tried to plant elderberries in every home, because they believed that it could protect against witchcraft and evil spirits. It was also believed that angels lived in the branches of the black elderberry and guarded the hearth.
Even today, black elderberry can become a decoration for any garden plot. Black elderberry belongs to the honeysuckle family. It is a shrub or small tree two to eight meters high. Elderberry begins to bloom in May. Black elderberry thrives in moist soil.
Black elderberry is a medicinal plant, which distinguishes it from the poisonous red elderberry. The value of black elderberry fruits lies in the large amount of vitamin C, carotene, potassium, amino acids, fructose, tannins, glucose, etc. In traditional medicine recipes, fruits, flowers, leaves, and even black elderberry bark are used. With the help of fresh elderberries, neuralgia, peptic ulcers, and hepatitis are successfully cured; in addition, they are also used for prevention. Dried elderberry fruits are used to successfully treat malaria. Researchers of medicinal plants believe that the healing properties of black elderberry are so great that it can be used as an adjuvant in the treatment of skin cancer, as well as stomach cancer.
Elderberry flowers contain choline, rutin, essential oils, coffee, valeric, malic acids, etc. Infusions and decoctions are made from black elderberry flowers, which are excellent for various colds: flu, sore throat, respiratory diseases.
Black elderberry leaves also have a healing effect, as they have a diuretic, antipyretic, astringent, diaphoretic, and sedative effect. They are also used for burns, diaper rash, furunculosis, and inflammation of hemorrhoids.
A decoction is made from the bark of black elderberry, taken for kidney and skin diseases. A decoction of the bark is used in preparing baths for rheumatism, arthritis and gout.
Externally, black elderberry is very similar to red elderberry - their differences appear to a greater extent during flowering. The black elderberry flowers are collected in fairly large umbrella-shaped inflorescences, having a diameter of up to 25 centimeters, while the red elderberry has similar yellowish-green flowers clustered into dense clusters up to six centimeters in diameter.
The berries of black elderberry are dark blue or almost black in color and are edible. You can use them to make jelly, jam, wine, syrup, jam or compote. Strengthening and vitamin tea is obtained by brewing equal amounts of black elderberry and rose hips. You can also mix elderflower flowers into tea leaves to give a familiar drink a unique bouquet.
Growing black elderberry in the garden is quite simple. However, remember that it loves sun and grows best in fertile, loamy, moist soils. And dry, sandy soils are unsuitable for black elderberry. In the northern regions, for planting you should choose a place protected from cold winds with sufficient snow cover in winter.
Black elderberry is propagated by seeds or cuttings. Seeds should be collected in mid-October and then sown quickly to a depth of two to three centimeters in rows with row spacing of 20-25 centimeters. Black elderberry seedlings grow quite quickly, reaching a height of 50-60 cm by the end of the first season. Black elderberry also takes cuttings well with both lignified and green cuttings. Annual seedlings should be planted in a permanent place. After planting, the elderberry is watered regularly and abundantly until it begins to grow. It is good to feed elderberries with organic fertilizers, but it is recommended to do this only at the beginning of summer, since fattening shoots do not ripen and freeze heavily in winter.
Black elderberry belongs to the fast-growing species. It gives especially significant growth in warm and humid years. By the age of four or five, elderberry bushes already look mature enough and begin to bloom. The plant blooms quite late in May-July. The ripening of fruits is also extended, when the first clusters may turn black in August, while others remain dark blue until mid-October, so the harvest should be harvested gradually.
Bush elderberry (lat. Sambucus) belongs to the genus of flowering plants of the Adoxaceae family, although previously it was included in the Honeysuckle family and even allocated to the Elderberry family. There are about forty species in the genus, some of them are medicinal plants - for example, black elderberry and red elderberry, and some are ornamental. In nature, elderberry grows mainly in Australia and in temperate and subtropical climate zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Elderberry has been known to mankind since ancient times - the ancient Greeks made musical instruments from its shoots, and it was mentioned in the works of Pliny.
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Planting and caring for elderberry (in brief)
- Landing: in spring (before the buds swell) or in autumn, at the beginning of October.
- Bloom: May June.
- Lighting: bright light.
- The soil: wet loamy or soddy-podzolic with a pH of 6.0-6.5.
- Watering: in drought - once a week at a consumption of 10-15 liters of water per bush. Young bushes require more frequent watering.
- Feeding: in spring and in the first half of summer - nitrogen fertilizers (slurry, infusion of chicken manure, urea), from the second half of summer - potassium-phosphorus. In autumn, elderberries are not fed.
- Trimming: annual in spring, on dormant buds, or during leaf fall.
- Reproduction: seeds, cuttings, layering and dividing the bush.
- Pests: aphid.
- Diseases: not affected.
Read more about growing elderberries below.
Elderberry plant - description
Most of the representatives of the genus are small trees or shrubs, but there are also perennial herbs in the genus, for example, herbaceous elderberry. In the middle zone, 13 types of elderberry are cultivated, and the most common plant is the black elderberry, a description of which we bring to your attention.
Like most species in the genus, black elderberry is a shrub or small tree 2 to 6 m high, growing in the undergrowth of deciduous and coniferous forests, sometimes forming entire thickets. Elderberry stems are branched, with a thin woody shell and a porous, soft white core. Young elderberry branches are green, but over time they become brownish-gray with a large number of small lentils. Elderberry leaves are large, from 10 to 30 cm long, imparipinnate, consisting of several oblong, long-pointed leaves on short petioles, located oppositely. Fragrant elderberry flowers of a cream or dirty yellow hue, 5-8 mm in diameter, are collected in large multi-flowered corymbose flat inflorescences up to 25 cm in diameter. Elderberry inflorescences appear in May or June. Elderberry fruits are almost black berry-shaped drupes up to 7 mm in diameter with dark red flesh and 2-4 seeds. Fruiting begins in August or September.
Elderberry is in demand not only in amateur gardening, but also in folk medicine, so we will tell you how to grow this shrub in your garden, and describe the medicinal properties of elderberry and contraindications that you should know about.
Planting elderberry
When to plant elderberry
Planting and caring for black elderberry is not much different from planting and caring for any other shrub. Elderberry is planted in spring or autumn. The best planting material is one- or two-year-old elderberry seedlings. Where does elderberry grow? Elderberry is an unpretentious plant, but if you plant it in deep shade or poor soil, this will negatively affect both its appearance and development. Find an open, well-sunny spot for the elderberry on the northern or eastern edge of the site, especially if you plan to grow an ornamental variety with variegated or colored leaves. Traditionally, elderberries, whose young shoots have an unpleasant odor that repels even flies, are planted near toilets, cesspools or compost pits.
As for the composition of the soil, the optimal soil for elderberry is moist loam or soddy-podzolic soil with a pH in the range of 6.0-6.5 pH. Acidic soils will have to be limed by adding dolomite flour, and this should be done two years before planting the elderberry.
Planting elderberry in spring
When planning to plant an elderberry seedling in the spring, prepare a hole 80 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter for it a month in advance. When digging, throw the soil from the top layer to one side, and from the bottom to the other. If you intend to grow elderberry as a tree, drive a stake into the center of the hole of such length that it rises about half a meter above the surface of the plot. Elderberry grown as a bush will not need support. Mix fertile soil from the top layer with 7-8 kg of humus, add 50 g of phosphates and 30 g of potassium fertilizers to the soil mixture and, after mixing thoroughly, pour two-thirds of this mixture into the hole.
On the day of planting, loosen the soil cushion at the bottom of the hole, lower the seedling into it and first sprinkle its roots with soil from the bottom layer, and on top with the rest of the soil mixture with fertilizers. As a result, the root collar of the seedling should be several centimeters above the level of the site. After planting, compact the soil in the tree trunk circle and water the seedling with 10-15 liters of water, and after it is absorbed, the soil settles and the root collar is flush with the surface of the site, tie the seedling to a peg.
Planting elderberry in autumn
Autumn planting of elderberry is carried out in the same order and according to the same rules as spring: a hole is dug in advance and filled with organic matter and fertilizers, after which the elderberry seedling is planted so that the root collar, after watering and settling the soil in the hole, is flush with the surface plot.
Elderberry care
Elderberry in spring
In March, trees and shrubs may suffer from sunburn - the bark becomes very hot under the bright spring sun, and at night there is a sharp cooling. To prevent the consequences of this phenomenon, the trunks and forks of the skeletal branches of elderberry are covered with a layer of lime. If damage caused by rodents in winter is found on the bark, disinfect it with a strong solution of potassium permanganate and cover it with garden varnish.
On warm, fine days, you can start pruning the elderberry, and after that treat the bush with a solution of Nitrafen or Bordeaux mixture against diseases and pests that managed to overwinter in the bark or soil under the bushes and trees. The tree trunk circles are freed from insulating material and last year's leaves. If the winter was snowless and the spring was dry, carry out moisture-recharging watering of the elderberry.
Caring for elderberries in summer
After elderberry blooms, the bush is sprayed against pests and powdery mildew.
At the beginning of summer, plants begin to actively grow and form ovaries, so the most important task is to provide the garden with moisture and nutrition. The soil in tree trunk circles must be kept loose and moist. In bushes that are frozen in winter, root growth begins to grow, which must be immediately destroyed before it outstrips the bush itself. To prevent the elderberry from spreading throughout the garden, you can dig old slate around the bush at a distance of one and a half meters and to a depth of half a meter.
In August, elderberries are already beginning to ripen on some bushes, and you should be ready to harvest. At the end of summer, it is necessary to create conditions for preparing the bushes for wintering: a rainy summer can cause secondary growth of shoots, which can only be stopped by removing the mulch from under the bushes and pinching the tops of the growing shoots.
How to care for elderberry in the fall
Caring for elderberries in the fall is preparing them for winter. In September, the elderberry harvest continues, after which sanitary pruning of the bush is carried out. At the end of the month, they dig up the soil in the circles around the trunks, apply fertilizers and, in dry autumn conditions, carry out pre-winter watering of elderberries. If you are just planning to plant elderberries, dig holes for the seedlings at the end of September and fill them with fertilizers.
In October, the bushes are treated from pathogenic microorganisms and pests that have settled for the winter in the bark of branches or in the soil under the bush, and trunks and large branches, in order to protect them from winter rodents and spring burns, are whitened with freshly slaked lime or chalk with the addition of copper sulfate and carpentry glue. Tree trunk circles are insulated with peat, humus or dry leaves.
As soon as the snow falls, throw it under the bush - this will be the best protection for the elderberry from frost.
Elderberry processing
Twice a year - in early spring, before buds open, and after leaf fall - elderberry bushes and the soil under them are treated for preventive purposes with a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture or a two to three percent solution of Nitrafen. They do this in order to destroy fungal infections or harmful insects hidden for the winter in the bark or in the top layer of soil. Instead of these drugs, you can use a one percent solution of copper sulfate or another drug of similar effect. A seven percent urea solution, if treated with it in the spring, acts not only as a fungicide and insecticide, but also as a nitrogen supplement needed by the plant at this time of year.
Watering elderberry
Rainy summers and mulch around the tree trunk, which does not allow moisture to quickly evaporate, can save you from watering elderberries. It is best to mulch the soil around the elderberry bush with compost or rotted manure. In summer with normal rainfall, you will not need to water the elderberry, but in dry, hot times, pour 10-15 liters of water under the elderberry bush once a week. Young plants are watered more often. Do not let the soil under the bushes dry out. After watering or rain, it is very convenient to loosen the soil around the bushes and remove weeds.
Feeding elderberry
In fertile soil, elderberry grows well without fertilizing, but it responds very well to nitrogen fertilizers applied in spring and summer to poor soil. Of the organic fertilizers, elderberry is best accepted by slurry and chicken manure infusion. She is also favorable to urea and complex mineral fertilizers. In autumn, elderberries are not fed.
Elderberry pruning
When to prune elderberry
Like many garden plants, elderberry requires annual sanitary and formative pruning. Once every three years, to rejuvenate the bush, all branches are cut to a height of 10 cm. It is best to prune the elderberry during the dormant period - in early spring, before the buds on the branches begin to swell. True, sometimes sanitary pruning of elderberries is required in the fall, after harvesting and leaf fall.
Pruning elderberry in spring
In a newly planted seedling, the shoots are shortened by 10 cm to the strong outer bud. By its nature, the shape of the elderberry crown is neat, oval - so maintain it in this form by cutting out branches and shoots that grow inside the bush or at the wrong angle. Dry, diseased, weak and frostbitten shoots are also subject to removal. The root growth must be removed while it is in its infancy. Every year, a quarter of the old branches are cut back to the base of the bush. The cuts must be lubricated with garden varnish.
Pruning elderberry in autumn
If during harvesting some elderberry branches were injured, carry out sanitary pruning, simultaneously removing diseased and improperly growing shoots along with the damaged ones. If there is no such need, prune only in the spring.
As you can see, planting and caring for elderberries is simple and not labor-intensive, but the benefits of elderberries, which we will discuss in a separate chapter, are undeniable.
Elderberry propagation
How to propagate elderberry
Elderberry is propagated by seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush and layering. Unfortunately, seed propagation almost never preserves the varietal and even species properties of elderberry, so most often the plant is propagated vegetatively.
Seed propagation of elderberry
Elderberry seeds are collected in the fall, in mid-October, by rubbing the ripe fruits through a sieve. Sow the seeds in rows, the distance between which is about 25 cm. The sowing depth is 2-3 cm. By the end of the next season, the seedlings will grow to 50-60 cm.
Propagation of elderberry by cuttings
Harvested in June or early July, green cuttings 10-12 cm long with two or three internodes and a pair of upper leaves, on the petiole of which only two paired segments are left, are planted in a mixture of sand and peat in equal parts and covered with a high polyethylene cap so that create greenhouse conditions for the cuttings. Before planting, do not forget to treat the lower cuts with a root former - it will increase the rooting ability of cuttings by 2-3 times. To create the required level of air humidity, during the first 4-6 days, spray the film from the inside with water from a fine spray, being careful not to let the drops fall on the leaves of the cuttings, as this can cause them to rot. In autumn, rooted cuttings are planted in the ground.
If necessary, you can also root lignified one-year-old cuttings, which are harvested at the end of the growing season, stored in the winter in snow or a basement, and in the spring planted in loose, fertilized soil in the garden and each of them is covered with a glass jar or plastic bottle with the neck cut off until until the cuttings grow roots.
Reproduction of elderberry by layering
This method of reproduction gives almost one hundred percent survival rate. For layering, either young green or two- to three-year-old woody shoots are used, which are bent to the ground, placed in pre-made grooves, a little compost is placed in each of them, the shoots are secured with a metal hook and dug in, leaving the tops above the surface.
If you place woody cuttings in grooves in May or early summer and tie them at the base with wire, they can be separated from the bush in the fall and planted. Green shoots are not tied with wire and are removed from the mother plant not in the fall, but only the next year, when they become lignified.
Dividing an elderberry bush
This method of propagation is carried out in the fall. An adult, large elderberry bush is dug up and divided into approximately equal parts. You may need to use an ax or saw to split the elderberry root. Each division should have developed roots and shoots. The cuts and cuts are treated with wood ash and the sections are immediately planted in holes prepared in advance. You can plant them in containers and postpone planting in the ground until spring. Dividing the bush makes it possible to immediately obtain a large plant.
Diseases and pests of elderberry
Elderberry is extremely rarely affected by diseases and pests. The only problem can sometimes be aphids, against which in the spring the elderberry bush is treated with Karbofos in accordance with the instructions.
Types and varieties of elderberry
In addition to black elderberry, a dozen more species are grown in our climate, and we will introduce you to the most interesting of them.
Blue elderberry
- an ornamental plant that naturally lives along the banks of streams and rivers, as well as in mountain pastures in North America. Trees of this species sometimes reach 15 m in height, and sometimes grow as shrubs with thin branches that have a red tint when young. The trunks of blue elderberry are light sandy in color, the leaves consist of 5-7 bare, bluish-green coarsely serrated leaves up to 15 cm long. Fragrant cream flowers are collected in a corymbose inflorescence up to 15 cm in diameter, which blooms for about 3 weeks. Elderberry berries are blue, spherical, bluish-black due to a bluish bloom, and look very impressive. The frost resistance of this species is below average.
Siberian elderberry
grows naturally in East Asia, the European part of Russia, in Eastern and Western Siberia and the Far East, preferring mixed and dark coniferous forests and rising up to 2200 m above sea level. This is an ornamental shrub up to 4 m high with average winter hardiness.
Elderberry herbaceous
grows wild in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Belarus and the south of the European part of Russia, choosing rocky screes and river banks. This foul-smelling, but beautiful herbaceous plant during flowering and fruiting reaches a height of 1.5 m. The berries of the herbaceous elderberry, which form scutes on the tops of the shoots, are poisonous when fresh, as they contain hydrocyanic acid. This species is sometimes planted around the currant tree, since the herbaceous elderberry drives away all harmful butterflies and bud mites, but then it can be very difficult to remove this plant with a thick creeping rhizome from the currant tree. Dried elderberry flowers have a pleasant smell; they are sprinkled on apples stored for storage.
Elderberry
grows naturally in moist, nitrogen-rich soils of eastern North America. This highly ornamental plant, reaching a height of 4 m, is often used in landscaping. The shoots of plants of this species are yellowish-gray, the leaves are large - up to 30 cm in length, small fragrant flowers of a yellow-white hue form slightly convex umbrella-shaped inflorescences up to 25 cm in diameter, and the edible spherical shiny fruits are colored dark purple. This species has been in culture since 1761. It is very similar to black elderberry, but is much more resistant to the conditions of the middle zone. Elderberry has several decorative forms - maxima (the most powerful of all forms), acutiloba (graceful, with strongly dissected leaves), chlorocarpa (with yellowish-green leaves and green berries) and aurea (with bright yellow leaves in spring and autumn and green in summer).
Red elderberry
or racemose, originally from the mountains of Western Europe. This is a tree up to 5 m high or a deciduous shrub with a dense ovoid crown, light green odd-pinnate leaves up to 16 cm in length, consisting of 5-7 elongated and pointed leaves with sharp teeth along the edges. Greenish-yellow flowers are collected in dense oblong inflorescences up to 6 cm in diameter. The fruits are small bright red berries. Both leaves and branches have an unpleasant odor. The plant is very beautiful during the fruiting period. In culture since 1596. This species has the following decorative forms:
- low– dwarf, compact plants;
- thin-leaved– this variety’s purple leaves when opening are cut into very narrow segments, so the plant looks very elegant;
- purple– with purple or pink flowers;
- yellowish– this variety has yellow fruits with an orange side;
- dissect-leaved– the most commonly cultivated variety of red elderberry with early-blooming large leaves consisting of 2-3 pairs of finely dissected leaves;
- pinnate- with purple serrated leaves when blooming, dissected almost to the middle. Popular varieties of this variety are Plumosa Aurea with openwork leaves that are yellow in the sun and green in the shade, and Sutherland Gold with even more dissected yellow leaves.
Elderberry Zimbold
It is found naturally in Japan, the Kuril Islands, Sakhalin and the Far East, and in Western Europe it is cultivated as an ornamental plant. This is a spreading bush or tree up to 8 m high. This species is similar to the red elderberry, but it is much more powerful: the leaves, consisting of 5-11 parts, reach a length of 20 and a width of 6 cm. The inflorescences are also larger than those of the elderberry racemose, but more loose. This species has been in cultivation since 1907.
Black elderberry, described in detail in the article, also has several popular decorative forms:
- Guincho Purple- a shrub up to 2 m high with green leaves at an early age and black-purple leaves in maturity, which acquire a red tint in autumn. The flowers are deep pink in bud, but when open they are white with a subtle pink tint. The shoots of plants of this variety are purple. All these advantages appear only in the sun - in the shade the bush remains green;
- Marginata– a fast-growing bush up to 2.5 m high with a fragmentary silver-cream border on the leaves;
- Pulverulent- a slow-growing bush with showy leaves dotted with white spots, stripes and streaks.
Decorative forms, as a rule, are less frost-resistant than the main type, but they look great in the garden both as a tapeworm and in a group with other plants.
Properties of black elderberry - harm and benefit
Medicinal properties of black elderberry
Elderberry inflorescences contain valeric, acetic, caffeic, malic and chlorogenic organic acids, tannins, semi-solid essential oil, choline, carotene (provitamin A), mucous and paraffin-like substances, sugars. The properties of elderberry flowers are truly unique.
Elderberries contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C), carotene, malic acid, resin, glucose, fructose, amino acids and coloring matter.
Fresh black elderberry leaves contain carotene and ascorbic acid, essential oil, tannins, resinous substances, and dried leaves contain provitamin A1.
The bark contains choline, essential oil and phytosterol.
An infusion of dried elderberries (1:10) stimulates bile excretion, enhances diuresis and intestinal motility. Elderberry flower tea relieves bronchitis, laryngitis, neuralgia and flu. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory mouthwash.
In folk medicine, not only the berries, but also the flower of the elderberry, as well as the leaves and bark of the plant have long been used. Elderberry flowers were used to make infusions and decoctions that had a diaphoretic and antibacterial effect. They are still used in the treatment of colds, flu, sore throat and upper respiratory tract diseases. An infusion of black elderberry flowers is prepared as follows: pour a tablespoon of flowers into a glass of hot water, bring to a boil, cook over very low heat for 15 minutes, then cool, filter, squeeze and drink half a glass before meals 2-3 times a day for rheumatism, gout or arthritis. A lotion is prepared from elderberry flowers that tones and rejuvenates the skin: 10 elderberry inflorescences are poured with two glasses of boiling water, left for a day, filtered and stored in the refrigerator.
Elderberry leaves have astringent, antipyretic, sedative, diuretic and laxative effects. When used externally in steamed form, they relieve diaper rash, hemorrhoids, boils and burns. And to treat constipation, young elderberry leaves are boiled in honey.
A decoction is prepared from elderberry bark, which is used to treat kidney and skin diseases, gout, rheumatism and arthritis.
In addition, jam, jelly and wine are made from elderberry.
Elderberry - contraindications
But no matter how useful this plant is, you can still sometimes hear about the harm of elderberry. In these cases, they mean the fruits of red elderberry, which not only cannot be eaten, but after them you must wash your hands with soap. If their juice gets into scratches on the skin or cracks in the mucous membrane, consult a doctor immediately.
As for black elderberry berries, their use is not recommended for pregnant women suffering from colitis, diabetes insipidus and chronic stomach diseases. Elderberry is contraindicated for people with Crohn's disease and with individual intolerance to this berry.
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Sambucus means elderberry in Latin. Initially, the plant belonged to the Honeysuckle family, and later Elderberry. Currently, this shrub is classified as a member of the Adoksov family. There are about 40 species of plants in the genus, among which there are both ornamental and medicinal species, for example, red elderberry and black elderberry.
Description of the bush
The plant can be found in the Northern Hemisphere, where temperate and subtropical climates predominate, as well as on the Australian continent. Its qualities have been known since ancient times. For the ancient Greeks, the plant was a material for making musical instruments. It is believed that the Latin name came precisely from the eastern instrument sambuca. For many peoples, elderberry is sacred and helps protect the house from evil spirits.
Elderberry, which is popular among people, also has popular names: sambuca, elderberry blossom, buzovnik, pishchalnik and wasteland.
Black elderberry is the most beneficial species for humans. To grow, plant and care for it, no special skills are required, and the garden will acquire an unusual, chic look.
The black elderberry plant comes in two types:
- bush;
- a low tree whose height ranges from 2 to 6 meters.
Black elderberry needs a description. Remember that at certain times it can easily be confused with the red variety of elderberry. Therefore, wait until the berries are completely ripe.
The branched stems have a white porous core, covered with a thin woody shell, which is green on young branches; later the shade changes to brownish-gray. The leaves, located opposite on the roots, have an elongated, pointed shape. Their length ranges from 10 to 30 cm. Multi-flowered flat inflorescences reach a diameter of 25 cm. The flowers of the plant have a cream or dirty yellow hue and emit a pleasant aroma. The period of the beginning of flowering is May - early June. The berries, reaching a diameter of 7 mm, have dark red flesh and several seeds. The fruits ripen in late August - early September, at which time they become almost black.
People appreciated the tree. Elderberry fruits contain many substances beneficial to human health, such as:
- glucose;
- carotene;
- vitamin C;
- fructose;
- potassium;
- amino acids;
- tannins.
Types of black elderberry
Among all the varieties of black elderberry, there are a huge number of garden forms. Based on crown type, there are two types of bushes:
- pyramidal or columnar;
- weeping (with drooping crown).
According to the type of form, plants are divided into:
- fern-leaved (narrow leaves, white flowers exude a musky aroma);
- porforolifolia (pink flowers, leaves have a purple or almost inky tint);
- powdery (green leaves have pronounced white or yellow spots).
The nuances of planting a plant
The plant is quite hardy and prefers well-lit areas. This is especially true for decorative species. Fruit-bearing shrubs take root well in shaded areas. It should be noted that decorative forms that have variegated or bright colors are best planted in places open to sunlight. Otherwise, they lose their appearance and the color becomes more faded.
Among the positive features of elderberry, it should be noted that it repels flies and various harmful insects, so it is advisable to plant it near drains and toilets. Fruit trees and bushes located nearby are ideal as cross pollinators.
For planting, black elderberry prefers fertile loams that are slightly alkaline. If a large amount of acid predominates in the soil, then it must be diluted with lime in advance.
Young seedlings must be planted in warm weather in spring or autumn. Before planting, it is necessary to dig a hole, the depth of which should not be less than 40–50 cm. The bottom of the hole is covered with organic and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. After planting, the shoot is sprinkled with soil and lightly compacted. Do not deepen the root collar of the plant.
Care at first consists solely of watering, and this must be done until the seedling takes root and begins to produce new leaves and branches. You should wait three years for the first flowering.
Shrub care
Planting and caring for the plant is quite simple. The soil around the tree must be cleared of weeds and loosened. Branches should be trimmed from time to time. The soil should be moist, but without stagnant water. Excess moisture can destroy the tree. In such conditions, elderberry grows and bears fruit well.
To maintain soil moisture, it is recommended to mulch the trunk with fallen leaves, sawdust or peat.
Any tree needs timely pruning and black elderberry is no exception. The event is carried out to give the deciduous crown a beautiful shape, as well as to rejuvenate the bush. After winter, the tree is inspected for frozen and damaged branches. If there are any, then they should be cut off without regret. Over the summer, the branches will recover and acquire a beautiful and healthy appearance.
When a tree reaches the six-year mark, it stops bearing fruit. A high yield can be obtained from branches that are 2–3 years old. Therefore, pruning for fruit-bearing varieties is very important. The older the tree gets, the fewer fruits it bears.
Elderberry is practically not susceptible to disease. The only thing that can threaten it is spider mites and aphids. If a tree with signs of disease is detected, it must be treated with fungicides.
When harvesting ripe fruits, the bunches are cut off completely using pruning shears or grape scissors. Due to its small size, no special devices are required during cleaning. The axes of the inflorescences contain sambunigrin, a toxic substance, so after collecting all the pilaf they must be carefully separated from the berries and removed.
It should be remembered that ripe berries are not stored for a long time. They will last about 10 days in the refrigerator, after which they will begin to spoil. Therefore, it is better to immediately send them for processing to prevent the fermentation process. Brushes left on trees last all winter.
Elderberry flowers are also harvested for medicinal purposes. The cut inflorescences are cut and dried in a dry, well-ventilated place, avoiding exposure to sunlight.
In order for the tree to grow and develop well, care must include the application of fertilizing and various types of fertilizers. The best time for this is early spring. Soluble fertilizers are applied to the soil simultaneously with watering. Solid species are first scattered around the trunk, and then lightly compacted into the soil to a depth of 10–15 cm.
Organic fertilizers are best applied in the fall. Infusions of litter, compost and solid manure are perfect for this.
How to protect a tree from pests
The shrub is particularly dangerous from ticks and aphids. In Europe, where elderberry is grown on plantations, diseases of unknown etiology can be observed, caused by physiological disorders or the work of pathogenic fungal species. The root system is susceptible to attacks from rodents who like to make cozy burrows there. Crops can be affected by birds, which also enjoy elderberries.
Young seedlings can also be susceptible to various viruses, so before planting they must be carefully examined and checked for diseases and diseased cuttings removed.
In early spring, before buds begin to bloom, spraying is carried out in the garden. In this case, the air temperature should not be lower than 4 degrees. If the number of harmful insects is small, there is no point in using pesticides.
But if there are a lot of them, then to get rid of them they use drugs such as:
- fozalon;
- fenitration;
- dimethoate;
- deltamethrin;
- lambda-cyhalothrin, etc.
How to prune a plant
Black elderberry needs this type of care, such as timely pruning, which is carried out for sanitary or shaping purposes. Once every three years, the bush should undergo anti-aging pruning. All branches of the bush are cut off, leaving 10 cm from them. It is better to carry out activities in early spring, when the tree is dormant and the buds have not yet begun to appear. In the autumn after harvesting, elderberry also needs sanitary pruning.
In spring, the shoots of seedlings are shortened by about 10 cm. The crown of the plant has an oval shape, which must be maintained so that the tree is pleasing to the eye and does not grow haphazardly. Branches that grow incorrectly and protrude from the contour must be removed. In addition, it is necessary to rid the bush of dry, frostbitten and weak shoots. Approximately a quarter of the old branches are cut off almost to the very base, and the cut areas are treated with garden varnish. The resulting root growth is also removed.
Autumn pruning occurs after harvest, during which the branches could be accidentally injured. In addition, over the summer, diseased shoots or branches that began to grow at the wrong angle could appear. They should also be removed. But if there are none, then the next pruning can be done only in the spring.
How to propagate elderberry
Elderberry, like any other plant, reproduces in several species:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- layering;
- dividing the bush.
It should be noted that the most ineffective method is propagation by seeds. In addition, the bush loses its original qualities and it is difficult to predict what will eventually grow. Seeds for planting are obtained from the fruits in the month of October. The seeds are planted to a depth of 2–3 cm in rows, the distance between which is 25 cm. After a year, you can obtain seedlings reaching a length of 50–60 cm.
Green cuttings about 12 cm long are harvested in the summer in June–July. For planting, cuttings with a pair of upper leaves and 2–3 internodes are selected. The prepared material is planted in soil consisting of sand and peat, taken in equal proportions. Before planting, the lower cuts must be treated with a root former. The process promotes faster rooting of seedlings. The cuttings are covered with polyethylene, providing them with warmth. To maintain the required level of humidity, the film is sprayed with water from the inside, avoiding drops falling on the leaves. The foliage must remain dry, otherwise it will begin to rot. By autumn, the cuttings will take root, produce young shoots, and they can be safely planted in open ground in a permanent place. In order for them to successfully survive the winter, the seedlings must be covered. This could be fallen leaves, spruce branches, etc.
To obtain layering for propagation, in the fall the branches of the bush are lightly buried with earth, leaving the top on the surface. By spring they will grow, but separating it from the main bush should be delayed a little. It is best to do this after a few years.
Black elderberry is unpretentious in care and does not require any special skills from gardeners. Distributing this useful plant will not be difficult. For careful and caring treatment, it will give you a pleasant aroma in the spring, decorative beauty of foliage in the summer and healthy fruits in the fall.