American Elderberry Bundle of 3

Ripe American elderberries hanging in clusters on red stems

American Elderberry (Bundle of 3) | Spring 2027

$79.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Partly self-fertile

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

See trees that will pollenize it Elderberry pollination chart

Ripening

Will it finish before your first hard freeze?

Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)

Disease resistanceNo strong resistance

Leaf spot : Unknown, no published data yet
Powdery mildew : Moderate, 3 of 5
Rust : Susceptible, 2 of 5
Tomato ringspot virus : Susceptible, 2 of 5
Verticillium wilt : Unknown, no published data yet

Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.

See it on our berry disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Elderberry, American is an elderberry shrub rated hardy to zone 2 in our ratings (winters to -50°F), and partially self-fertile, so a second variety nearby makes crops more dependable.

Also called	American elder, common elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
Hardy to	Zone 2 to 9. A bare number means the whole of zone 2, colder half included (winters to -50°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 500 hours (100 to 1,000). Our estimate. No published figure exists for this variety yet. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources.
Pollination	Partially Self-Fertile. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), early summer here. These are different seedlings, so planting the bundle together gives them the cross-pollination they need. They also work as pollenizers for Adams, John's and Ranch. Elderberries bloom in early summer, long after apples and plums. Nearby varieties that can boost the crop: Adam's Elderberry (Bundle of 2), Ranch Elderberry (Bundle of 2), John's Elderberry (Bundle of 2). Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Pollination Charts.
Good for	Feeding wildlife (9/10), juice and sweet cider (8/10), jams and jellies (7/10), wine (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	Sometimes damaged by deer.
What you get	Bare root, 2-3 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

A medium to large, multi-stemmed, open, spreading shrub reaching 6–10 feet tall, American Elderberry produces large white flower clusters followed by purple-black fruits in late summer.

Immune-Boosting & Versatile

The berries are known for their immune-boosting properties and are best used for this purpose in syrups and tinctures. They also make excellent jam.

Cold-Hardy and Reliable

Hardy to Zone 2.

Other Varieties Available

Also see our other cultivated varieties of elderberry in the Shrubs section of the site.

Photos: “2024-08-04 15 04 35 Elderberry fruit along Mountain View Road in the Mountainview section of Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey” by Famartin, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; “Sambucus canadensis flower UMFS” by Fredlyfish4, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Questions we get about Elderberry, American

Does Elderberry, American need a pollenizer?

It helps. Elderberry, American is partially self-fertile, so it can set some fruit alone, but a second variety nearby makes crops more dependable. These are different seedlings, so planting the bundle together gives them the cross-pollination they need. They also work as pollenizers for Adams, John's and Ranch. Elderberries bloom in early summer, long after apples and plums. Partners we carry include Adam's Elderberry (Bundle of 2), Ranch Elderberry (Bundle of 2), John's Elderberry (Bundle of 2).

How cold hardy is Elderberry, American?

We rate Elderberry, American hardy to zone 2, which means winters down to about -50°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.

How many chill hours does Elderberry, American need?

About 500 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 100 and 1,000. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Seedlings vary, but most northern American elderberries likely need around 500 to 700 hours. Montana winters cover that easily. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

What is Elderberry, American good for?

Our top use scores for Elderberry, American are feeding wildlife (9/10), juice and sweet cider (8/10), jams and jellies (7/10), wine (7/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is American Elderberry disease resistant?

Not really. It holds up moderately well against powdery mildew. It's prone to rust and tomato ringspot virus. Nobody has published solid data on it for leaf spot and verticillium wilt yet, so we list those as unknown. Our berry disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Elderberry, American?

Sometimes. Deer browse Elderberry, American now and then, so protect young plants where deer pressure is high.

What arrives, and when does Elderberry, American ship?

A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 2-3 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.

Juice data

SG (Brix)	Acid g/L	Tannin g/L	pH
1.050 (12.5) P	8.0 P	1.5 E	4.5 P

Letters show how solid each number is: M measured, P published but weaker, E our estimate.

MSU elderberry juices: 11.8 to 12.9 Brix, pH 4.1 to 5.0, so the blend needs acid. Use ripe, fully destemmed berries and cook them; raw berries, stems and leaves carry cyanogenic glycosides (OSU Extension).

Sources: MSU Western Agricultural Research Center, elderberry trials; Oregon State University Extension EM 9446, Play it safe when preserving elderberries

Run American Elderberry through the hard cider calculator to see what it does in a blend.

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Pollination partners

Partners for a bigger American Elderberry crop

American Elderberry sets some fruit on its own, but a lot more with a partner. Every tree below blooms at the same time and has pollen that works for it.

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

Pollination Partly self-fertile

Pollen Good pollenizer

3 trees we carry will pollenize it. 2 in stock now.