The Lifecycle of an Elderberry!
The Lifecycle of an Elderberry!
Photo 1 shows what I've been up to in the last couple of days - chopping the elderberry plants back to ground level.
Photo 2 and it doesn't take long for the plants to grow! By early summer we will be getting heaps of elder flowers!
Photo 3 when the flowers have turned into berries and the harvesting starts.
Photo 4 what it's all about! Beautiful health giving Elderberry Syrup!
I grow the elder variety Sambucus Canadensis Adams- aka Canadian Elder. My goal is to keep the plants well under control and accessible for picking- hence the rather brutal chopping back! Works well for me!
And your thinking- where is the Food Forest in all of this? And the answer is- wrapped around the area of elder. I've got fruit trees, berries, currants, herbs, hazels and etc all planted around the edges. That means I've still got a nice diversity of planting going on, the birds have got plenty to distract them, and I can still harvest the berries easily!
And the bushes look beautiful when they have grown! First of all full of flowers, and then of course the heavy bunches of berries. Can't wait!