Blue Elderberry

Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea) is a native powerhouse, bringing both beauty and utility to the landscape. In late spring, it’s covered with fragrant clusters of creamy-white flowers that are a pollinator magnet. By late summer, the flowers mature into dusty-blue berries that feed birds and can be harvested for jams or syrups. Its rapid growth makes it an excellent choice for filling large spaces quickly, creating privacy, or stabilizing slopes.

This shrub is as rugged as it is productive. It tolerates dry conditions once established, thrives in poor soils, and grows happily in both sunny and partly shaded locations. Blue Elderberry is ideal for wildlife-friendly plantings, windbreaks, or naturalized borders where it can spread out and do its thing with minimal fuss. If you want a native plant that works hard for both you and the ecosystem, this is a perfect choice.