Black elderberry(Sambucus nigra) is a shrub commonly growing on wastelands and roadside roads - so ubiquitous that many people consider it an uninteresting and unremarkable plant. It's a pity, becauseblack without the use ofcan be used in the garden as an ornamental plant and a source of flowers, fruits and leaves with valuable medicinal properties. In addition,elderberrycultivation is very easy. Seewhat elderberry looks like , get to know the most interestingdecorative varieties of elderberryand the possibilities of its use in the garden.
Black lilac - Sambucus nigra - flowers
What does black elderberry look like?
"Elderberry , also referred to as wild elderberry, under natural conditions takes the form of a spreading shrub and often reaches a height of more than 5 meters, which in old age looks more like a low tree with many trunks. The shoots of this plant are covered with gray, rough, with more and more cracked bark.
Elderberry flowersare single and inconspicuous, but gathered in large umbels with a diameter of 10 to 20 cm attract attention from a distance. Their aroma is pleasant to the nose from a distance, and after getting closer to the plant it becomes, to put it mildly, tiring. The elderberry flowers are white and appear between June and July, attracting many bees. "
Elderberry fruitsappear in the period from August to September and remain on the plant in October. They are spherical, up to 8 mm in diameter, dark purple in color, almost black. The name elderberry comes from the fruit.They are a delicacy for birds that spread elderberry seeds over long distances.
Elderberry leaveshas green leaves, composed of 3-9 (usually 5) egg-shaped, sharply toothed leaves, reaching up to 9 cm in length. Elderberry leaves, when rubbed, give off a suffocating scent, similar to flowers.
Elderberry - healing properties
The healing properties of elderberrymake the species Sambucus nigra widely used in herbal medicine and natural medicine. Bothelderberry flowers and fruitsand the leaves of this plant are useful.
Elderberry flowers contain large amounts of flavonoids, phenolic and organic acids, as well as tannins, oil, mucilages , triterpenes, sterols and mineral s alts. They are used in the preparation of variousmedicinal preparations of elderberry flowers
There are a lot of anthocyanin glycosides, sugars, pectins, tannins, rare organic acids (m.in shikimowy), routine, as well as vitamin C, B vitamins and provitamin A. Sambucyanin is responsible for the black color of the fruit, which hasstrong anti-cancer properties, supporting immunity and the circulatory system
Elderberry fruits have valuable healing properties
Fig. pixabay.com
Black lilac - application
Elderberry is used primarily for medicinal purposesElderberry flowers are used to prepare infusions for the treatment of colds, runny nose and rheumatic diseases. They have a diuretic, diaphoretic, antipyretic and expectorant effect. As a herbal raw materialelderberry flowers are harvested when they are in bloombut have not yet faded. They are cut with whole canopies and dried in a ventilated and dry place, spread out with a thin layer.Drying elderberry flowerspreserves their valuable healing properties for a long time.
Elderberry fruitsare an excellent product for the production of juices and preserves that strengthen immunity during autumn and winter. The best ones are said to be harvested right after the first frost. However, it should be remembered thatfresh elderberries must not be eatenThey are only suitable for consumption after boiling or frying without cover. If the fruit is used to prepare preserves such as stewed fruit, jellies, jams, wines, separate the stones from them by rubbing them through a sieve.Only fully ripe fruits are harvested , preferably after the first autumn frost.
Note!Elderberry has fruits that stain a lot, so this shrub should not be planted near paths, garden benches and near car parks where the juice fruit could stain passers-by and cars.
Elderberry leaves , which are not particularly decorative (in the species, because we will talk about interesting leaves of ornamental varieties in a moment), are usedin the preparation of all kinds macerates and horticultural slurryuseful for strengthening the resistance of cultivated vegetables and flowers and for fighting certain diseases and pests.Their additional advantage is that, due to their specific smell, they repel mice, moles and voles. Just a handful of crumpledelderberry leavesput in an inhabited burrow and the rodents or a mole will evacuate from it.
Elderberry - Sambucus nigra - fruit
Fig. pixabay.com
Make an extractfrom the leaves of elderberry, which is used against aphids and caterpillars of cabbage moth. For this, 1 kg of fresh or 200 g of dried leaves and lilac flowers are soaked in 10 liters of water for 24 hours, and then diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. And one more, in my opinionthe greatest advantage of lilac leaves- by decomposing, they provide a lot of organic matter, thus enriching the soil with humus.
In the natural environment, elderberry grows in wet places on soils rich in nitrogen. Such preferences meant thatelderberry is used as an indicator plant , which confirms the high abundance of soil, especially in nitrogen compounds, with its presence.
Where to plant a black elderberry?
Elderberry should be planted in the central point of the garden or in a large discount , where it will look really impressive and introduce a rural character to the garden, adding charm to the whole establishment. Under the lilac bushes, you can plant, or rather sow in handfuls, small bulbous plants that will add color to the garden in early spring, or you can try to establish a bed in the shade with ferns or forest perennials.
Growing elderberryis possible throughout our country, because elderberry is fully frost-resistant and has low requirements. It grows well in normal, moderately fertile soils, preferably moist, both in full sun and partial shade. To preservedecorative value of elderberry bushesit is good to cut out the older shoots and cut the younger ones in half of their length. Such strong lilac pruning is done every 2-3 years.
Elderberry - decorative varieties
If you prefer more ornamental plants, there is nothing to prevent you from plantingornamental varieties of elderberryAnd there is a lot to choose from. Breeders have made a lot of effort to breed beautiful varieties of the species Sambucus nigra. We present 7 interesting varieties of elderberry. All of them are easy to grow and fully frost-resistant.
Elderberry 'Aureomarginata'- the variety has leaves of a typical shape and size, but on the surface of the blades there is a wide yellow margin, sometimes taking up to half the leaf width. The flowers in the typical white lilac color can be admired from May to July. Black without the 'Aureomarginata' variety grows shorter than the species, so it is perfect for smaller home gardens. Fully frost-resistant variety.
Elderberry 'Aurea'- variety with golden leaves and growth as strong as the wild species. Reaches up to 3 m in height. It is fully frost-resistant and tolerates urban conditions well.
Elderberry 'Laciniata'- a plant with very interesting leaves, which are dull green, composed of heavily cut leaves. Palm maple has similar leaves, but in our climate it can be difficult to cultivate. Therefore, for those who like such foliage, elderberry 'Laciniata' may be a better choice. Compared to other elderberry varieties, without 'Laciniata' it tolerates well shaded sites. Therefore, it can grow in full sun, partial shade, as well as in a shady position. It is considered an undemanding plant, perfect for planting in cities.
Elderberry 'Eva' blooms pink
Fig. pixabay.com
Elderberry 'Eva'- this variety has cut leaves, as in the variety 'Laciniata', but additionally they are dark purple. The plant is also distinguished by pink flowers. The plant is very good for planting in cities, in color combinations with other shrubs.
Black without 'Guincho Purple'- this variety is distinguished mainly by the interesting color of the leaves. The pinnate leaves are dark purple in spring and summer, and red in fall. Light pink flowers with a very intense fragrance can be admired from June to July.
Elderberry 'Madonna'- a plant with a compact habit, distinguished by slower growth and feathery, light green leaves with irregular, wide white-cream border. Undemanding variety, grows well in any soil, but does not like dryness. It can grow in any position, from fully sunny to shady.
Elderberry 'Marginata'- the variety also known as 'Variegata' has leaves that are matt green in the middle and creamy white at the edges. Blooms creamy white from June to July. Perfect for planting against plants with dark foliage. It grows up to 2.5 m in height and is therefore slightly shorter than most other elderberry varieties.
Black lilac - reproduction
Elderberry propagationis carried out by woody cuttings, cut in the leafless period and rooted in moist soil in a light shade. For such seedlings, in late autumn, after the leaves have fallen, annual shoots are taken. Trim the collected shoots in such a way that each seedling has 4-6 stitches. We plant them deep, leaving only 2 meshes above the ground. Elderberry cuttings take root fairly quickly and can be planted in their final location after a year. In this way, elderberry propagated abundantly will bear fruit after 3-4 years.
Elderberry can also be propagated by herbaceous cuttings. They can be downloaded from mid-June to mid-July from new increments. The shoot section should have 2-4 leaves. Before planting, the lower leaves are removed, leaving only the upper 2. Plants need to be sprinkled frequently after planting to ensure adequate humidity. Otherwise they will dry out easily. For this reasonthe reproduction of elderberry by woody cuttings is a bit easier
In autumn, you can also sow seeds that need to be extracted from sheep. However,breeding elderberry from seedsrequires the most patience, and in the case of ornamental varieties, the plants will not repeat the characteristics of the mother plant. Therefore, decorative varieties of lilac are propagated only from cuttings.
How to cut black elderberry?
For proper growth and abundant fruitingelderberry requires regular pruning
Black lilac translucent cuttingis performed after fruit harvest . They can be made in the fall, right after harvest or in the winter. Basically, the bestelderberry pruning dateis in fact the winter months. However, avoid cutting during severe frosts. Elderberry pruning can be delayed until the beginning of spring if the weather is not favorable, but you have to be in time before the leaves appear on the plant.
When deciding tocutting elderberry , it is worth knowing that this plant bears fruit most abundantly on two-year shoots.Therefore, our goal is to remove all older shoots and two-year-old shoots that are already past the peak of fruiting. Cut these shoots quite short above the ground. In spring they will be replaced by several long shoots 1.2 to 2 m high. It is on them that fruit will appear in abundance in the next year.
Optimal fruiting conditions andconvenient harvesting of elderberry fruits we will provide ourselves when the plant has from 6-12 annuals and two-year-old shoots. There is no point in keeping older shoots on the bush.
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