It does not reach the enormous dimensions of a black elder. Of course, that doesn't mean that a grape elderberry should hide behind it. Explore the appealing attributes of the decorative wild fruit tree and care aspects worth knowing here.
Natural beauty in numbers
Grape elder captivates with a white bloom in May and June, which is followed by scarlet berries from August. Thus, it is already clearly distinguishable from its mighty relatives from afar. Instead of competing with it, grape elderberry scores with casual coolness in an individual way. The following profile conveys specifically which properties are hidden behind it:
- Growth height up to 400 centimeters
- Growth width up to 300 centimeters
- annual growth: 20 to 50 centimeters
- bronze colored shoots in March/April
- dull green leaflets
- conical, white inflorescence
- golden yellow foliage in autumn
The bright red elderberries are only suitable for consumption with considerable effort. In contrast to the black elder, they do not lose their poisonous content through cooking. The small cores have to be removed beforehand, which is hard work for every housewife. Therefore, environmentally conscious hobby gardeners leave the red fruits on the grape elder, much to the delight of more than 60 bird species.
Likeable trait - undemanding care
When choosing a location, a grape elder does not create any horticultural hurdles. The wild fruit tree thrives in all places with sunny to partially shaded lighting conditions. The flat-rooted plant hardly makes any demands on the soil conditions. A minimum of humus should be present, and there should be no permanent dryness or waterlogging. Nursing attention is limited to the following work:
- Enrich the soil with compost and horn shavings as part of the planting
- from March to August fertilize with compost or alternative organic fertilizers
- alternatively apply a long-term fertilizer in spring and summer
- Water elderberry penetratingly during prolonged drought
- Cut back every 1-2 years between November and March
If there is a threat of frost in winter, water the shrub on frost-free days. There is always frost when there is no snow in permafrost. The plants lack moisture from above, while at the same time the roots in the frozen ground cannot get water. Drought stress leads to the death of trees much more frequently in winter than during the warm season.
tips and tricks
Grape elder has a wide variety of popular names. Do not be confused, because this species is also known under the names mountain elder, red elder and deer elder. If you want to be on the safe side when purchasing young plants or seeds, ask for a Sambucus racemosa.
GTH