Elderberry is safe to eat if you know how to find and use it.

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People are looking for native plants that produce fruit.Today's homeowner wants to take advantage of plants that provide benefits.

Elderberry can be found in pill form at any health food store.Elderberry Syrup has been used as a chest remedy to treat colds.

You may have heard that Elderberries are poisonous, even though it is advertised for both immune support and to reduce the severity of colds.

Here is why.The leaves, stems and roots of the plants and the seeds in the berries have chemicals that convert into cyanide.The build-up of cyanide in the body can be caused by eating the raw seeds.

Fruits and apples have the same chemicals in their pits and seeds.The portion of fruit that is eaten is fine.

There is no reason to eat the Elderberry stems, leaves, or roots, even if you are a novice gardener.

Focus on processing the small, dark purple, beautiful fruits, which are very high in antioxidants.The berries have more vitamins than oranges.The dark color has anti- inflammatory effects.

The seeds should be cooked.The glycosides which induce cyanide will be destroyed by cooking with heat.

The fruit will be safe to eat if you cook the berries to make preserves, syrups, and pies.The cooked berries are not poisonous.They are not a lot of fun.You will probably want to add something.It is possible to make Elderberry wine as a passion project.

Did you know you can eat flowers?The Elderberry has tricks that have been used in Europe for hundreds of years.

In the early summer, huge, flat topped, creamy white flower clusters develop on the tips of the branches.The flower clusters can be a foot across.

The blooms can be so heavy that the tips of the branches can bend down creating a weeping habit.The branch tips are heavier as the flowers finish and fruit develops.

In the early summer, the flowers attract beneficial insects.Elderberry flowers are large and showy.To create a delightful garden room, plant a row of these shrubs.

The flowers can be eaten.They are used to make a syrup that can be used in cocktails, white wine, or over ice cream.You can fry the flowerheads in batter.It is recommended to serve with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

In terms of gardening, elderberries are a bit unusual.They are not as popular as blueberries.People have been growing blueberries for thousands of years.The elderberry is modest.

Elderberries are best known for their use in preserves and pies.Even though we probably won't see a "fresh eating" version any time soon, we're certainly seeing ornamental improvements in some of the new varieties coming on the market.

The Elderberry is one of the easiest plants to grow and it thrives in a wide range of conditions.

Elderberry bushes can be found growing along rivers and streams, wetlands, fence lines and in ditches along roads.They are able to adapt to almost any location.

From Canada to Florida and Texas, you can find Elderberry shrubs.Depending on the site, the plant can be as small as 6 feet or as large as 12 feet.

If Elderberry bushes start to look a bit wild, you can rest assured that they will respond well to pruning.It's easy to change them up quickly.

There has been a lot of breeding done with Elderberry plants.New leaf colors, cutleaf forms, and upright growing plants that stay narrow have been added by plant breeders.

They have a lot of new selections.The foliage is more similar to a Japanese Maple than it is to an Elderberry.

Some of the new yellow and purple leaved forms are almost black when they first emerge in the spring.Elderberry shrubs have bright yellow and purple leaves, and as they mature they will take on a greenish cast.Plants grown in the most sun have the best color.

Some of the new selections are columnar.Elderberry plants can get large, so having smaller versions is a good thing.These newer Elderberry selections are suited for smaller landscapes because they are more suited as ornamentals.