Page 19 - Edible Trees For Tucson

used as a windbreak or living fence. Elderberry
species grow from 10 feet to almost 10,000 feet in
elevation.
• Chill hours: Unknown.
• Height/Width: 10-30 feet tall; 10 feet wide.
• Lifespan: 60 years.
• Water needs: 1 inch of water per week.
• Moderate drought tolerance. Drought
deciduous.
• Soils: Prefers moist, rich, well-drained soils
• Microclimates: Grows in riparian and forest
habitats; common in the Santa Catalina
Mountains near Tucson.
• Pollination: Elderberry are cross pollinated
and require another plant nearby.
CARE

Do not prune elderberry for the first two years.
After that, trees may be pruned back in early
spring and any dead branches removed to
stimulate new, productive growth.

H AR VES T

Blue or purple berries are gathered and made
into elderberry wine, jam, syrup, sauces and pies.
The berries are harvested in late summer
(August-September) and made into juice by
simmering the berries in water and then
straining off the juice. The juice can be made
into wine or a delicious cordial, or into syrup by
adding sugar. Flower tops can also be harvested
in early summer when shedding pollen, dipped in
batter and fried like pancakes. Petals may be eaten
raw or made into a fragrant and tasty tea. Caution
should be used to collect only ripe berries and to
remove stems and seeds, which contain
cyanide-producing glycoside.

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