Sambucus canadensis

3-Gallon - Pick Up Only

There are plants that seem woven into the very memory of our land, and Sambucus canadensis—the American elderberry—is one of them. Found along fence rows, creek banks, and forgotten field edges, this native shrub has long been a companion to both the settler’s garden and the woodland wanderer’s path.

A generous grower, elderberry rises in loose thickets of arching canes, their crowns crowned in summer with great umbels of creamy white blossoms. These blooms, soft with fragrance, call forth bees and butterflies in a steady, timeless procession. By late summer, they give way to clusters of lustrous, dark purple-black berries—long treasured in kitchens and folk medicine chests alike. Elderberry wines, syrups, and preserves once graced every country cupboard, offering both sustenance and a hedge against winter’s ills.

This is a shrub that asks little but offers much. It thrives in moist soils and full sun to partial shade, growing quickly to form a screen or wildlife haven. Its fruits are relished by birds, while its roots knit the ground, making it as practical as it is beautiful. Plant one, and you plant not merely a shrub, but a chapter of America’s agrarian past—an heirloom that still bears gifts for the present.

Key Features & Benefits

• Native to North America, steeped in cultural and medicinal history

• Produces abundant clusters of edible dark berries, excellent for syrups, wines, and preserves

• Large, nectar-rich flower heads beloved by pollinators

• Fast-growing shrub, ideal for naturalizing, screening, or creating wildlife habitat

• Hardy, adaptable, and deeply tied to the Southern landscape

Let the elderberry remind you that the good life is not always complicated—it is often found at the edges of old fields, in the stories of our grandmothers, and in the shrubs that have been waiting all along to be planted again.