North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<jelie@new.rr.com>]

Caren, There are some nice varieties of elders out there.  The European 
varieties (sambucus nigra) and the American varieties (sambucus nigra var. 
canadensis) both have some outstanding cultivars.  I would think that both 
would be readily available to you in QC.  

Some American varieties:  Nova, Johns, Adam, and York 

The European varieties are more numerous and varied:  Goldbeere (gold colored 
fruit, Samdal (of Danish origin), Korsor, Alesso, Black Beauty (dark leaves 
with typical structure, pink flowers), Black Lace(dark lacey foliage with 
pink flowers), Laciniata (Green lacey leaved), variegated, and Haschberg.

Here is a pdf file on elderberries from New York state:

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/fls/OCRPDF/91.pdf

I am in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area which is on the border for zones 4 and 
5.  So far, the only problems I have had with them are a few cane borers.  
Mine are quite productive.  My wife and I haven't used the flowers for 
anything but love the berries for syrup and jelly.  Propagation by cuttings 
in the spring has been pretty easy.

Best of luck,

Jim Elie
Green Bay WI
zone 4/5

---- Caren Kirk <quirky@videotron.ca> wrote: 
> I just returned from a trip back home to the UK where I totally overdosed 
> on Elderflower EVERYTHING (cordial, syrup, even eldeerflower cheesecake). I 
> literally couldn't get enough, everywhere we went someone was getting me to 
> taste their homemade products.
> 
> I've always been a fan of elderberry juice, so now I am convinced that I 
> want to try planting them here to see if I can reap the benefits of both 
> the flowers and the berries.
> 
> I thought I had an elder growing wild in the wet area at the back of my 
> lot, which I had never really investigated much . It certainly has very 
> similar flowers, however their scent seems nothing like that delicious 
> fragrance of the flowers I've been enjoying in the UK. However I may have 
> missed their peak at the beginning of the season. The shrub is about 6 to 
> 7ft very "leggy" and growing in a very wet site under other taller trees. 
> Not sure if it bears black berries but if so these don't seem to be very 
> popular with the birds.
> 
> Does anybody have experience with elders for their flowers or berries? 
> Could you help me in identifying my plant? Could anyone suggest which 
> elders might be good for flower and fruit production for zone 3/ 4 (for 
> example is Sambucus Canadiensis OK)?
> 
> Any advice gratefully appreciated.
> 
> Caren Kirk
> St. Jerome, QC