Nursery
An incredible native berry packed full of antioxidants and widely used as a health tonic, elderberries are a must have for any yard or garden! Elderberries attract a bonanza of pollinators on their umbrel-shaped flowers (especially lightning bugs) and then produce copious amounts of berries around August. Wild elderberries tend to have smaller clusters and smaller individual berries and are highly favored by many species of birds. We also carry many cultivars which produce much larger clusters of juicy berries.
Elderberries enjoy moisture and can be found growing wild in our area next to streams and ditches (but not in them). They enjoy full sun and will fruit better in those conditions but can also tolerate fairly heavy shade. Deer love to browse on young elderberry plants, but once established, elderberries are extremely resistant to deer, quickly growing above the browsing height of deer.
Plants will grow about 6-12' tall and about 10' wide depending on the conditions, but tend to grow on the taller side in our climate. They can be spaced as close as 4' apart for production or for a hedge. No major pests or diseases to worry about, they are the perfect no spray fruit for our area.
Current Nursery Availability (As of 4/29/23) - Click to Download
If you click the link above, you can download our current nursery availability, which we will update here as often as we can. The current availability list is in a pdf format and lists what plants we have available and in what sizes and quantities. To find out more information about some of the plants and cultivars we carry, we have more detailed information about their appearance, flavor, growing conditions, and other characteristics below. The list below is not exhaustive, just representative of some of the main items/cultivars we carry.
Elderberry, 'Adams' (Sambucus canadensis)
The Adams No. 1 and Adams No. 2 cultivars were selected from the wild in New York in 1926. Both have large fruit, but Adams No. 2 has the largest fruit of all elderberries. Shrubs are vigorous with a strong upright growth habit. These cultivars are very winter hardy and are suitable for hardiness zones 3 to 9. Shrubs can reach between 6 to 10 feet in height and 6 to 8 feet in width. Fruit ripens in August. Fruit is purple, firm, juicy and sweet. The Adams cultivars are among the most productive cultivars. Flowers are used for tea and wine. Ripe berries are used for juice, jellies, wine or drying.
Elderberry, 'Bob Gordon' (Sambucus canadensis)
This cultivar was selected from the wild by Bob Gordon near Osceola, Missouri, in 1999. It was introduced by the University of Missouri in 2011. It is very winter-hardy. Good for hardiness zones 3 to 9. It is a determinate cultivar that flowers from the late May through mid-June. It has large flower clusters with white flowers. This cultivar produces vigorous open to upright shrubs that can reach 6 to 8 feet in height and 6 to 8 feet in width. It ripens at the end of July through the first part of August. It produces small to medium fruits that are purple and sweet. Once dormant in fall, plants could be cut down to the ground. They will produce fruit on primocanes, which are the current season’s growth.
Elderberry, 'Johns' (Sambucus canadensis)
The Johns cultivar originated at the Kentsville Research Station in Nova Scotia. It is an open pollinated Adams No. 1 or Adams No. 2 seedling. It was released in 1954. It has medium-sized cyme with white flowers. It exhibits extremely vigorous upright growth. Glossy foliage makes it a very interesting landscape specimen. Its fruit ripens in mid-August. The fruit is purple-black, glossy, firm, sweet and juicy. Shrubs are 8 to 12 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide. This cultivar is excellent for wine, juices, jellies, jams and pies.
Elderberry, 'York' (Sambucus canadensis)
The York cultivar originated at the New York Agricultural Experimental Station. This is a hybrid between cultivars Ezyoff and Adams No. 2. It was released in 1964. This cultivar has large cyme loaded with white flowers. Fruit ripens in mid- to late August. Fruit is medium to large, purple to almost black, glossy, soft, juicy and sweet. It has a vigorous, upright and somewhat spreading growth habit. It is 6 to 10 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide.
Elderbrry, 'Nova' (Sambucus canadensis)
The Nova cultivar is an open-pollinated seedling of Adams No. 2, selected in 1946 and released by the AgCanada Research Station in Kentville, Nova Scotia, in 1959. It was named by the province of origin. It is a multi-stemmed shrub with a vigorous and upright growth habit. It has wide clusters of creamy-white flowers. Fruit ripens in early August. It bears large, purple-black, soft, sweet and juicy fruit. In full maturity, it is 6-8 feet tall and just as wide. Excellent for wine, juice, jam and jelly.
Hardy Kiwi, 'Anna' (Actinidia arguta)
Anna Hardy kiwi 'Ananasnaja', or 'Anna' for short is one of the best producers of bite-sized kiwi's. It is a tremendous cold hardiness and is easy to grow. One key element that make this kiwi so special is it's pineapple like flavor! Needs a male pollinator and a very strong trellis. Space 20' apart.
Hardy Kiwi, 'Ken's Red' (Actinidia arguta x melanandra)
A. arguta x melanandra kiwi, producing cherry-sized fruits with lovely burgundy red skin and flesh. The fruit flavor is just what you expect from a kiwi - sweet and delicious, with the classic kiwi punch, and no peeling! Vigorous vines need a strong pergola or T-bar trellis and should be spaced 20' apart. Needs a male pollinator.
Jostaberry, 'Josta' (Ribes × nidigrolaria)
A gooseberry and currant cross (without thorns). The rich berry taste is reminiscent of gooseberry with a kiss of black currant. Deep-red, almost-black fruit is high in vitamin C and forms in large clusters, ideal for juices, jams and jellies, and fresh-eating. Plants are much taller than other Ribes (up to 8'), long-lived, thornless, and productive once established. Debuted in 1977. Disease-resistant to American gooseberry mildew, black currant leaf spot, white pine blister rust, and big bud gall mite. Ripens in July. Self-pollinating.