Elderberries are native to New Jersey and can be found on the forest’s edge. They will do well in part shade and full sun and enjoy moist conditions. They will let you know if things have gotten too dry for them in mid summer because the leaves will look wilty when they get thirsty. Give them some water and they perk right up again. Elderberry are super fast to mature. If you start with a plant that’s just a foot or 2 high in spring, it will likely be chest high by the fall. By the season after that you’ll have a 12′ high shrub and you’ll probably be harvesting your first berries that summer. The shrubs are big, fountain shaped and get to be about 10′ – 12′ tall and wide. Give them room. I love growing elderberry – they have my favorite smelling flowers.
cuttings taken on March 1, 2020
same cuttings on March 25, 2020I did change the water in the jar every few days, just dumped it out in the sink and filled it back up again with room temperature tap water. I rinsed off the whole bunch of cuttings too…. including the top parts because I don’t have a bag over them to keep the tops damp at all.
Now that the rooted cuttings have been potted, I think they will be particularly fragile for a little while until they get used to the new conditions. I’m going to make sure to keep them watered and comfortable. I’ll likely bring them inside at night for the next week so they don’t get too cold while they are getting used to the pots. Then I’ll start leaving in the greenhouse overnight and eventually I’ll move them outside in a couple of weeks. If they survive, they will probably be developed enough to plant out into the garden by the fall.
This was the original article I read about propagating elderberry from cuttings.