Elderflower and elderberry
We also have a common elderflower, with green leaves and white flowers. All the elderflowers grow vigorously and attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The berries, which succeed the flowers, are an important food source for birds in autumn.
Of course, they can be used to make elderberry gin, jam, or jelly, if the flowers haven’t already been used in elderflower wine or cordial. Our trees are grown to attract wildlife – they need the flowers and berries more than we do.
It was once believed to have magical powers. Burning the wood might cause the Devil to appear, but growing an elderberry tree next to the house denied him access. Some people call it the Judas tree, because legend holds that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from the branch of an elder tree.
Sambucus is deciduous, so each spring sees a rebirth of fresh growth and life.
Questions arise, easily solved by Google but then I wouldn't have anything to write here. Is an elder tree the same as an elderberry tree? And then, there is a alda tree, which I guess is different again. I have heard of a Judas tree, but I didn't know it was also an elderberry tree, or is that elder?
ReplyDeleteEler/elderberry - same difference. I know alder but had to look up alda.Judas tree is also a redbud tree as well as a fig. Confusing, isn't it?
DeleteI have read of elderberry trees in novels and always wondered what they looked like but never bothered to google, so thank you for this.
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteMy grandfather used to make elderberry wine but I was just a kid so I never got the chance to try it.
ReplyDeleteI've never had that, either. I understand it's quite potent.
DeleteI used to help picking wild elderberries for various uses, some medicinal -- it's an anti viral -- some not so much -- wine.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember doing much more foraging growing up than today's children do. (I swore I'd never do the 'in my day' thing . . . )
DeleteHow lovely.
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteIt has such a pretty flower Betty - it almost looks waxy.
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteWoops - I mean Janice not Betty. Sorry - had just sent an email to Betty & had her on the brain 😉
ReplyDelete🤣😂
DeleteSomehow we got the tradtion that they are associated with witches - you should never cut one but of course we do. I love the scent of elderflower and a business in Geraldine nz got it's start making elderberry negus which was a delightful liquor.
ReplyDeleteFruit liqueurs are delightful and very heady!
DeleteWhat a wonderful tribute to the elder tree. Both its beauty and its deep-rooted lore. It’s heartening to see how your garden nurtures not just plants, but also pollinators, stories, and a sense of quiet magic.
ReplyDeleteThank you - though it often seems more like chaos!
DeleteReally interesting facts about the elder.
ReplyDeleteSo many of our native trees carry folklore and magic.
DeleteI love the great plates of white flowers at the end of spring.
ReplyDeleteThey are splendid, aren't they?
DeleteFrom their surprising resilience to their vital role in supporting pollinators and birds, your trees are more than ornamental—they’re thriving, life-giving parts of your garden’s ecosystem. Lovely read!
ReplyDeleteWe're always looking for spaces for more trees . . .
DeleteOur cat woman next door has 4 elderberry 'trees' in her small garden, they are all higher than our Magnolia tree, she does nothing with them, they are full of nesting birds. At this time of year it's very heady outside with the sweet smell, which can be overpowering, I am digging out roots along our fence, I have potted some up and given them away.
ReplyDeleteFour does seem quite a lot in a small space, but I'm sure the birds appreciate them.
DeleteI think I would like to plant one of these in our garden. Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThey can be kept in check with careful pruning, apparently.
DeleteWhenever I've planted a Black Elder anywhere it's not survived long but here there is one growing right by the bungalow wall and flourishing and probably putting roots right under the footings!
ReplyDeleteTypical! Things love to grow where they shouldn't!
DeleteI've heard of elderberry but didn't realize it was a tree.
ReplyDeleteIt can be kept smaller through pruning.
ReplyDeleteElderberry is easy to start from a slip. I have done it several times. However, the deer love young small plants of this and I have yet to have one of my own. I love seeing them blooming in the wild when I am out.
ReplyDeleteDeer seem to eat everything, especially the things you want to grow.
DeleteElderberry grows wild (the green leafed kind) on one of the local walking trails my husband and I frequented. I love seeing the flowers. Years ago, when we lived in the countryside, our neighbor had bushes and let us pick the fruit. We made elderberry jelly, which was delicious.
ReplyDeleteI bet it was a beautiful colour, too.
DeleteWe have some very old elder trees in the back of our garden that block the sightlines from the apartments there. Every year they're full of bees and birds. The caretaker of the apartments is always pressing us to cut them down but I wouldn't think of it!
ReplyDeleteWell done, you. Too many accommodations are made for other people's convenience.
DeletePretty
ReplyDelete😊
DeleteElderberries grow around the perimeter of our backyard. They are indeed a great attractant for wildlife.
ReplyDeleteThey grow all round my son's garden, too.
DeleteYour story makes me think, that in 1970 when we lived in Brussels, I found a plant (don't know the name) in a bin on the street. I took it put it in a pot and it grew, it moved with us to Waterloo and it continued to grow, it lived with us for 45 years in our house, I had to cut it because it still grew. It moved with me in the apartment and grew. My friend cut it shorter to fit here in my room, and it tries now to get the former height back. It still looks good and healthy !
ReplyDeleteI wonder what it is? It's certainly determined.
DeleteThats very interesting. I enjoyed learning about the plant, thanks so much. I have heard about elderberry wine. My father used to make wine but not this one. Dandelion wine was his go-to. I remember the corks popping from a dozen bottles once. He used to store them in a cupboard under the stairs. The house smelled like dandelion wine for a long time afterwards. I seem to remember him saying that he added too much sugar. Not pleasant to clean up but it was a story told forever more with much laughter among friends and family, and here I am passing it on now, lol!
ReplyDeleteFamily stories pass down the generations, as they should. In our house, it was the ginger beer that exploded
DeleteMy grandparents used to make jam from theirs, but I'm glad to hear you're leaving the berries for the birds. We do the same with our white currant bush, although that's mostly because most of them are being eaten by the local population of wood pigeons before they're ripe enough for us to pick :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteWood pigeons do seem to get to everything before it's ripe.
DeleteI've never seen the elderberry flower....how unusual and so very pretty. I'm guessing they will later have elderberries on them? I need to read up on the elderberry bush/tree and learn more about the medicinal benefits.
ReplyDeleteThe berries ripen from red to black and are much liked by the birds.
DeleteI do like the folklore that seems to go with many of our trees and plants.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
People have written books on the subject - they're dedicated researchers.
DeleteWhat a beautiful elder! I heard that you had to leave a coin if you cut back an elder as a witch's spirit was inside.
ReplyDeleteGoodness! I wonder what the witch spent it on.
DeleteWe have very prolific red elderberries (sambucus racemosa). They're not good for people to eat as they're mildly toxic but the birds enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteThat's the best of both worlds - beauty and wild bird food.
DeleteI have made syrup from dried elderberries as a boost to the immune system.
ReplyDeleteThey're rich in vitamins A and C, so would be very good.
Delete