American Elderberry Plant Care

American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) belongs to the Viburnaceae family within the Sambucus genus. American Elderberry is native to North America. American Elderberry is also known as Elderberry, Canadian Elderberry.

American Elderberry displays a large deciduous shrub growth habit, reaching up to 15 ft tall with a spread of approximately 10 ft. American Elderberry produces clusters of small, fragrant white flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 6 inches.

Water a young or newly planted American Elderberry every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

American Elderberry thrives in full sun to part shade.

Sambucus canadensis tolerates temperatures of 50–90°F. American Elderberry prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Rich, moist, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. Good drainage is essential for American Elderberry to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed American Elderberry every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to part shade and rich, moist, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

American Elderberry is suited to USDA Zone 3a – 9b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

American Elderberry can spread to about 10 ft (3 m) and reach about 15 ft (5 m) tall. Space plants about 10 ft (3 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune American Elderberry while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

American Elderberry is hardy down to USDA zone 3a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

American Elderberry can be propagated through softwood cuttings, hardwood cuttings, seeds. Similar propagation techniques also apply to chinese elderberry plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

American Elderberry is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, borers. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

American Elderberry grows outdoors in USDA Zone 3a – 9b. It survives winters down to planting zone 3a. American Elderberry is native to North America.