How to plant and care for Elderberry (Haidegg)

Sambucus nigra

🍓 Fruit 🔁 Perennial

A big, easy shrub with flat heads of creamy, scented flowers for cordial in June and heavy clusters of black berries for syrup and wine in September.

At a glance: harvest in September.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Flowers

Harvest

Prune

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

On planting day
Plant
Plant 2.5 m apart in weed-free, well-prepared soil enriched with compost, and water in well.
0–3 days after “Plant”
Water In
Water well and keep moist while it settles in.
7–21 days after “Water In”
Mulch
Spread 5 cm of compost or bark around the plants to keep moisture in and weeds down.

February
Prune
Cut out a third of the oldest stems at the base to keep the bush young and productive.
June
Pick Elderflowers
On a dry morning, snip some flower heads for cordial — leave plenty to become berries.
September
Pick Elderberries
Cut whole clusters when the berries are black, then strip them with a fork. Always cook them — raw berries upset the stomach.
Starts from year 2.