Bob Gordon Elderberry
Huge flower heads—up to 12" across—produce high yields of small, sweet, dark purple fruit in the late-summer months. To get the best flavor, let the fruit ripen on the shrub before picking. During harvest, prune off the entire fruit cluster and strip the berries into a large bowl or bucket. Keep berries refrigerated—they do not keep well at room temperature—and process them as soon as possible. A great variety for jams, wine or eating fresh. An excellent source of vitamin C, too! Attractive, deer-resistant plant is upright and rounded, and can easily be pruned as a shrub or tree. Bears fruit in 2-3 years. Grows 5-8' tall with an equal spread. Choose a full-sun to part-shade site with consistently moist soil. Tolerant of most soil types. Two varieties needed for pollination. Zones 4-8.