My bob Gordon elderberries seem to excell on the size of their flower heads. Have one that measured over 20" across!
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Bird planted native, about three years old. I cut it back for the first time this winter and I’m very happy with how it responded. The child in front is 5 foot tall.
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Some berries on some plants getting close. I thought this was early, so looked back at pictures and I think my plants are ripening 1-2 weeks ahead of last year. I’m eager to make syrup again.
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Is there anything wild that resembles elderberry that is harmful? We seem to have a big patch of them, but I wasn’t sure that was what they are. Instructions how to make syrup or jelly? What else can one use them for? Am I correct that they are harmful if eaten raw?
Yes, raw elderberries can make you sick, they contain cyanogenic glycosides that break down with cooking. Syrup and jelly are the classic uses. For ID, the main lookalike to watch out for is water hemlock which has similar looking flower clusters but the leaf shape is completely different. Elderberry leaves are compound with serrated leaflets in opposite pairs. If the berries hang in heavy drooping clusters and the stems have a pithy centre when you snap them, you almost certainly have elderberry.
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