Sambucus canadensis
Origin: Eastern US
Improvement status: Wild & cultivated varieties
Seeds per packet: ~25
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
NEW FOR 2022. By popular demand, we're happy to be offering an American elderberry breeding mix for the first time! With more and more people turning to elderberry to boost their immune systems, we're happy to facilitate the cultivation of more elderberry plants and the development of new elderberry varieties.
There is not a lot of elderberry diversity available in the nursery trade these days, which means the growing elderberry industry is potentially susceptible to emerging pests and diseases. Since elderberries produce very little unless grown in the presence of another variety (and one that blooms at the same time), it is important to grow at least two or three or four different varieties to maximize production.
Each of the seeds in every packet will produce an entirely unique elderberry plant. Given how little breeding work is being done with this species, you very well could grow the next important American elderberry cultivar (or, if you have European elderberries around, the next important hybrid cultivar!).
This mix includes seeds from a number of productive elderberries, including 'Wyldewood 2' (which we also sell seeds from separately), 'York', and other cultivated varieties whose names are unknown to us, plus select wild plants found growing in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maine.
Please let us know if you grow any wonderful new varieties from these seeds!
GROWING TIPS: Seeds likely benefit from cold, moist stratification for 30-60 days before attempting to germinate. They may take many more weeks to sprout. You could also try planting them outside in the fall or winter to allow nature to stratify them for you. Seedlings should be coddled for their first year or two, after which they will be just as vigorous as any other elderberry, and will be easy to propagate by cuttings. Given the challenges of germinating elderberries, we are offering these seeds as untested botanical samples. All seeds were harvested in 2021.
