East Grove Elderberry

A Hardy, Early-Flowering Superfood for Your Landscape

Add a reliable and nutritious superfood to your landscape with the East Grove Elderberry, a top-performing American elderberry variety prized for its early flowering, robust growth, and exceptional fruit production. Selected in Eastern Iowa, this variety is highly adaptable and thrives in harsh conditions, making it a fantastic choice for home gardeners, small-scale growers, and wildlife enthusiasts.

Compared Pocahontas Elderberry, East Grove is earlier flowering, showing stronger cold tolerance and the ability to thrive north of I-70 with more vigor. With proper fertility and watering, you can expect a solid harvest by year two!

Why Choose East Grove Elderberry?

• Abundant Harvests: East Grove produces heavy clusters of dark purple-black berries ideal for fresh use, juicing, syrups, wines, and jams.
• Nutritional Powerhouse: Packed with antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and immune-boosting properties, elderberries are a true superfood.
• Cold-Hardy and Adaptable: Thrives in Zones 3-9, making it suitable for a wide range of climates.
• Fast-Growing and Vigorous: Reaches 6-10 feet tall with multiple stems, providing both a beautiful shrub and reliable yields. Indeterminate.
• Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Produces clusters of creamy white flowers in late spring that attract bees and butterflies, while the berries provide food for birds and other wildlife.

Planting and Growing Instructions

1. Preparing the Cuttings: Place cuttings in water or moist soil immediately upon arrival. You can root them indoors or directly outdoors in suitable conditions.
2. Planting Time: Plant in spring as soon as the ground thaws up to mid-spring.
3. Location: Choose a site with full sun to partial shade for optimal growth and fruiting.
4. Soil Preferences: Prefers moist, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0).
5. Spacing: Space plants 2-4 ft in row with rows 10-14 feet apart for proper airflow and maximum production.
6. Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist as the cuttings establish roots. Once rooted, water regularly, especially in dry periods.
7. Pruning: Prune established plants in late winter or early spring to remove dead wood and encourage new growth, as berries form on the current year’s stems.

Pro Tips for Success

• Cross-Pollination: For the best fruit yields, plant at least two elderberry varieties, such as East Grove and another compatible type, to encourage cross-pollination.
• Harvesting: Pick berries when fully ripe (dark purple-black). Unlike some other elderberry species, ripe American elderberries are not toxic and can be eaten fresh, though they’re often cooked for enhanced flavor and versatility.
• Wildlife and Beauty: Use East Grove Elderberry as part of a hedgerow, privacy screen, or pollinator-friendly garden. Its flowers and fruit support biodiversity while adding ornamental value.

Order Your Cuttings Today!
Our East Grove Elderberry cuttings are shipped fresh and ready to grow. With proper care, they’ll root quickly and establish strong, productive plants for years of abundant harvests.

Please see the photos for bundle sizes and examples of what you get.

Non-GMO Commitment: At Growing Farmers and The Farm on Central, all our plants are guaranteed non-GMO and not genetically modified in any way, upholding natural breeding methods and promoting sustainable gardening and farming practices.

Growing method: Grown on our Coop farms using natural growing methods, no chemicals used.