Growing elder trees

Size, height and spread

If left unpruned, elder trees grow to a height of around 15m, but more typically reach heights of around 4-8m in gardens. Pruning can restrict its size considerably, and elder is commonly grown as a shrub in gardens. A regularly pruned elder can maintain a height and spread of 4m x 2m.

Value to wildlife

Elder flowers are attractive to pollinators and birds such as blackbirds eat the berries. Several moth caterpillars feed on elder tree leaves, including the white-spotted pug and buff ermine.

Growing elder trees

Where to grow an elder tree

Elder is tolerant of most soils, but will get off to a good start in moist but well-drained soil. Choose a position in full sun to partial shade.

How to plant an elder tree

Plant a young elder tree in autumn, digging a generous hole and adding mycorrhizal fungi to encourage root growth. Plant bare-root whips and small elder trees from autumn to spring, providing the soil isn't frozen.

• How to plant trees

How to care for an elder tree

Elder trees need very little care, once established. Keep newly planted trees well watered, and water established trees in very dry weather.

How to prune an elder tree

If you're growing elder as a shrub, prune it back annually to maintain its shape. Prune hard – down to a few stumps in the ground – for the best results. New stems bear bigger, better coloured leaves than those left unpruned.

In this video guide, Monty Don explains how much to prune away and where to make the cuts:

How to propagate elder

Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and early autumn, or hardwood cuttings in winter.

Pests and diseases

Elder flower tree is a tough, native tree, which rarely suffers from pests or diseases. Some species suffer from blackfly on young shoots. These are usually removed by birds and other predators, but you could also use soap sprays to manually remove them.

• How to deal with aphids

Harvesting elderflowers

Elderflowers appear from May to June. Pick them on a dry morning, when cream-coloured and covered in a yellowish pollen. It's important to make sure they smell good – the scent of elderflowers can quickly sour so avoid picking any that don't smell fresh (some liken the bad smell to urine).

Storing elderflowers

Elderflowers can be dried to use in drinks recipes, such as wines and cordials, later. Simply pick the fresh flowers on a dry day, shake off any insects and lay them out on a flat, dry surface, such as cardboard or similar. Keep somewhere warm, dry and shady but with good air circulation. The flowers will be dried when you can rub them from the stems. Seal the dried flowers in an airtight container until you're ready to use them.

Elder varieties to grow

Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ – good for a long season of interest, with finely cut, almost black foliage, and pink-flushed blooms in summer. In autumn, its leaves turn a rich red.

• Buy Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ from Crocus

Sambucus nigra ‘Marginata’ – a variegated elder with good year-round interest. Small scented, white flowers appear in spring, followed by black berries in late summer, and the foliage is striking with yellow-margined, dark green leaves.

• Buy Sambucus nigra ‘Marginata’ from Shire Plants

Sambucus nigra ‘Black Beauty’ – a very ornamental cultivar with almost black foliage and sweet, lemon scented, pale pink flowers in early summer.

• Buy Sambucus nigra ‘Black Beauty’ from Burncoose

Sambucus nigra ‘Golden Tower’ – this has a more narrow, upright habit, which makes it a good choice for smaller gardens. The finely cut foliage is a vibrant golden green colour with clusters of white flowers appearing in summer.

• Buy Sambucus nigra ‘Golden Tower’ from Ornamental Trees

Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Guincho Purple’ – grows up to 6m high, with stunning foliage that starts out green, turning purple and red through the seasons. Typical elder flowers appear in spring with black fruits following in late summer and autumn.

• Buy Sambucus nigra f. porphyrophylla 'Guincho Purple’ from Burncoose

Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' – a medium-sized elder, typical clusters of creamy flowers appear in spring, but this cultivar is prized for its bright, golden yellow, finely cut foliage.

• Buy Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold' from Burncoose

Frequently asked questions

How do I take cuttings of my Sambucus nigra?

Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer to autumn. Trim cuttings to around 15cm, cutting just below a leaf node. Cut off lower leaves, ensuring three to four leaves remain, and remove the tip. Dip the cuttings in hormone rooting powder and then pot them up into pots of cuttings compost. Water the cuttings but don’t ever let them sit in water, and cover with a polythene bag to retain humidity around the leaves. Place on a heated propagator to encourage rooting.

You can also take hardwood cuttings in winter. Trim each cutting to 20cm in length and remove the shoot tip just above a bud, and trim the bottom just below another bud. Dip each cutting into rooting powder and insert them 10cm deep into a pot filled with cuttings compost and overwinter them in a cold frame. Leave plants for at least 12 months before transplanting.