The American Elderberry shrub is famous for their purplish-black berries many people use to make pies, wine, and jams. The alternative to the berry-producing shrub is its ability to provide a natural setting for birds and squirrels to live in the comforts of the yard. It is a great addition to the yard or garden as it attracts all forms of wildlife to enrich the yard anywhere.

The American Elderberry thrives in full sun exposure with rich moist soil. The shrub will adapt easily to shady areas or other types of soil but in any location requires room to grow and spread as it matures.

The berry producing Elderberry is easy to plant in the yard. It requires digging a hole about three times larger than the root ball with an equal depth. When the soil is covering the shrub, the root ball should be level with the ground.
To prepare the shrub for planting, take the American Elderberry for the shipment container. Gently tap the roots from the container that is enclosed in a burlap bag. Remove the burlap bag covering the roots to midway of the root system. Remove all the wires and twine circling the burlap. Leave the burlap on the root system but only allow it to cover half of the root ball.

Take the shrub to the hole in the yard and place the plant into the hole. Position the shrub so it is in the middle of the hole and fill the hole with water to saturate the roots of the shrub. Allow the burlap bag and surrounding ground to absorb the water before filling in the soil around the shrub. Water the newly planted shrub again so the topsoil is damp and moist.

Add mulch underneath the shrub. The mulch will help keep the moisture in the American Elderberry so it will adjust to the new location. Some people do not add mulch to the shrub but either method is accepted to the growth and survival of the shrub.

The American Elderberry can reach heights of 12 feet with a width of about 10 feet. It is not a small shrub and needs to have plenty of room to grow appropriately. Monitor the growing progress of the shrub by removing any "suckers" from the lower parts of the shrub to keep the plant in the classic round formation. The times of year to prune the Elderberry is the early spring or summer.

To correctly collect the elderberries, pick the berries in clusters by the branches to avoid the weight of the berries breaking the branches. Cut the entire cluster from the branch to allow the shrub to continue to produce the fruit.

To help the production of the elderberries, remove the older branches and any broken branches from the shrub in the early spring or summer of the year. If you are seeking an American Elderberry variation for the fruits, the Adams or York version of the shrub are popular for their high levels of fruits they bear each year.