Elderberry is a fast-growing shrub with an annual growth rate of 50 to 70 centimeters, reaching heights of up to seven meters if left unpruned. To keep the elderberry compact and ensure abundant flowers and fruits each year, regular pruning is essential. With proper care, you can also train elderberry into the shape of a tree, making it a versatile and attractive addition to your garden.
Why Prune Elderberry?
Pruning helps maintain the health and appearance of the elderberry while promoting better flower and fruit production. Elderberry naturally grows as a shrub, but with consistent pruning, it can also be shaped into a small tree for decorative purposes.
The Best Time to Prune Elderberry
The ideal time for pruning elderberry is in autumn, after the berry harvest in October. Alternatively, pruning can be done between late January and early March before new growth begins.
How to Prune Elderberry
- Maintenance Pruning/Thinning: In autumn, remove old, fruit-bearing branches, leaving only the one-year-old shoots, as these will produce flowers and fruits the following year. Identify one-year-old shoots by their smooth, light-gray bark, while older branches are thicker and have darker, rougher bark. Choose 10 to 12 strong, one-year-old shoots, preferably growing close to the base, to ensure they receive sufficient nutrients.
- Shaping Pruning: For a neat shrub shape, maintain the central shoot as the tallest and trim surrounding main branches to form a slight cone shape at the top.
Training Elderberry as a Tree
If space is limited, you can train an elderberry shrub into a compact tree, adding a decorative element to your garden:
- Select a strong, straight shoot to serve as the tree trunk and support it with a wooden stake.
- Trim the central shoot slightly, leaving around five buds below the cut for new branches to sprout.
- Remove all side shoots below these buds.
- In the second year, prune the crown branches to leave about four buds per branch. From the third year onward, maintain the crown by thinning and pruning regularly. Remove any competing shoots from the trunk to ensure its strong growth.
The Versatility of Elderberry
Elderberry isn’t just a visual delight with its creamy white flowers; its berries are a rich source of nutrients for birds and are perfect for making jams, syrups, and juices. Varieties like the Black Elderberry ‘Black Lace’ offer stunning deep red foliage and black berries for culinary use, making them a fantastic choice for any garden.
More Elderberry Tips
Interested in planting, propagating, or exploring different elderberry varieties? The Plantura Magazine offers in-depth guides and inspiration to help you create a sustainable and vibrant garden.