Elder
Sambucus nigra
MediumSecondary
Fast biomassProduction
A fast pioneer that gifts elderflowers and elderberries while coppicing hard for mulch — happiest on rich, damp ground. Cook the berries; raw, the plant is toxic.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Medium
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Loam, Clay
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 – 7.5
- Min. temperature
- -30°C
- Min. rainfall
- 600 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- Medium
- Frost tolerance
- High
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- Medium
How to manage it
Fast pioneer for flowers, berries and chop-and-drop mulch; tolerates part shade and coppices hard on moist, fertile, nitrogen-rich ground.
Watch out for
Raw berries, leaves, bark and roots are toxic - cook the berries and discard other parts. Self-seeds freely and can spread as a weed on rich, damp ground.
Design your line to see how your land fits Elder.
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