Elderberry Sambucus mexicana
Elderberry makes a large shrub or small tree--perfect in size for a backyard tree, a garden hedgerow, or a windbreak. Like the European elder, the berries of this native species are good for juice, jelly, wine, or syrup and are strongly medicinal. The berries may be eaten raw or cooked, but the seeds should not be eaten raw. This is Sambucus mexicana, the species native from Oregon down into Baja California, and is more drought-tolerant than other elders. Gardeners in northern areas will want to seek out their native (caerulea) species.
I grow them as part of a hedgerow between the garden and a black walnut tree--they are tolerant of both shade and juglone (walnut poison), though the elder is taller and leggier than the bushy, compact shape of trees in full sun. Either way, they do sucker from the root to make a shrub or thicket. This works well in hedges and boundaries. In places where you want a single-trunk specimen tree, just prune it to one main stem.
Like quince and other semi-wild fruit trees, elder is an easy-care choice that has few pest problems--except birds, which love the berries. When birds start eating the berries, they are usually ripe enough to harvest. If not, then covering the bushes is your best option. Besides their culinary uses, the berries are often consumed as a syrup during the winter to fend off colds and flu, having reputed antiviral properties.
Germination is challenging, and patience is your best ally. We ship whole dried berries,each one of which contains 3 seeds. Soak berries overnight, and mash them and rinse off the flesh. Sow in fall for germination in the spring, or place the seed in moist medium and give 70 days warm treatment followed by refrigeration for 90 days, then sow in pots. These should stay slightly moist but well-drained, and may take half a year or more to sprout. Once the seedlings have a few leaves, give them a mulch of rich compost. They may be planted outside once their roots have outgrown a gallon pot. Give plenty of compost in the planting hole. They will need water the first year until well established.