Seeds 1 oz. Bulk Blue Elderberry

1 oz. (Sambucus cerulea) Zones 3 - 6. Fruiting shrub. A small deciduous shrub or small tree, 1'-50' tall, it is fast-growing and spreading but can be controlled by pruning. Blooms with white or creamy flowers in flat-topped clusters in April throughout August, leading clusters of blue or red berries from August throughout October. The berries are edible by humans as well as providing food for birds, deer, and elk. Conservation uses include habitat and streambank restoration.  Approximately 2,625 seeds.

Elderberry wine and jelly are relished in many parts of the country and many birds and mammals also enjoy the berries and help to spread the seeds. The flowers can also be eaten. Known as Elder Blow they are battered and fried to make a delicate desert.

The name may come from the Anglo-Saxon term ellaern or aeld which means "fire" or "to kindle a fire". The pith of the stems was used as tinder and the hollowed stems to blow the fire. Stone age sites from Europe reveal that Elder has been valued by mankind for thousands of years. Some thought that spirits lived among the plants and refused to cut them down. The Elder shows up in the myth and legend of many peoples in the old world and the new. The various beliefs are far to numerous to list here in entirety. The stems have been used to make musical instruments such as flutes and Native Americans made clapper sticks used ceremonially to accompany singing and dancing. The stems have also been used to make blowguns. In addition, the berries formed a principle food for some tribes. The leaves, crushed and rubbed on the skin or worn under a hat are thought to keep insects at bay and the juice has been used by gardeners to protect other plants from insects. The wood has been used to make various delicate instruments such as combs, skewers, needles for weaving nets.

The berries contain large amounts of vitamin C, flavenoids and rutin, which are known to improve immune function account for the use of the juice and flower tea as a cold remedy and tannins account for many of the other medical uses.

Propagation: Elder is not easy to start from seed, but if you follow these guidelines, you are most likely to succeed. Keep seeds in a warm, moist soil for three to six months, then move the seeds into the refrigerator for three to six months. The seeds should now readily germinate. Sow seeds in a medium that is rich in compost. Do not use sterilized soil. Fungi in the compost will produce gibberellic acid, a growth hormone necessary for Elder seed germination. Once the seeds germinate, they will rapidly yield handsome bushes or small trees.