does anyone have any experience with blue elder propagation.
softwood? early spring hardwood cuttings?
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i tried some hardwood cuttings this spring, but they all failed. Ive found canadensis easy to root, usually near 100% take
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If there only existed an article called âHow do i propagate blue elderberryâ 
Probably most everything u buy from nursery is seed grown anywaysâŚso may as well grow them from seed yourself.
I want to get some red ones going.
https://www.naturebob.com/pacific-red-elderberry/
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red elder grows wild everywhere here. i have several bushes in the yard. never heard of anyone eating the berries though. they ripen a full month before the earliest black elders do.
red elder is a cool and tough plant. theres a lot of it here too. its quite the pioneer species. I love the bud break - its sooooo early (late march or so here) and so dramaticâŚ
certain Indian tribes ate red elders to some extent, although I read in a great book called âNotes on a Lost Flute (Downeast Press) that the algonquin word for red elder berries translates roughly to âitchy anus berryâ, so I imagine it wasnât exactly preferred. It is a primo species for attracting birds though, and extends the season of both fruit and flowering, which makes it exceptional in terms of habitat value.
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If you believe what Universities say:
Red elderberry has been used by various North American tribes for both medicinal purposes and food uses in many meals. While the seeds of the red elderberry are poisonous, if they are removed, the berries can be eaten raw or cooked. In their raw form, these berries (and seeds) were specifically helpful to Native Americans as they were used as an emetic and purgative to detoxify the bodily system in laxative form. While this may be true, the toxicity is greatly reduced when the berries are cooked, and they can be enjoyed in foods such as pies, jellies, or even in wine. Interestingly, the leaves were used to treat boils, and the root could be infused to treat stomach pains or rubbed onto the skin to help with aching or sore muscles. Today red elderberry is used in natural medicine for many purposes, ranging from sinus infections (used in a nasal spray), to lowering blood pressure. Elderberry extract has also been used in cancer remedies because of anti-carcinogenic properties which may inhibit the growth of certain forms of cancer.
One of the few places that has affordable plants is Chief River Nursery and they sell seedlings⌠so i may as well grow them from seed myself.
I found a place selling 100 seeds for $2. So maybe a few will sprout for me.
They also sell blue elderberry seed⌠i may as well try them too. 25 for $3
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i meant the locals. Iâve heard of the olâ folks using chokecherry and highbush cranberry but never elderberry. black elder is very rare up here. i could try to root you some cuttings over winter if you want.
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