On the very edge of one of my herb gardens, a lone plant has been growing there for some time - I could not id it for the longest time - so I decided to let it keep growing - this has happened to me before & the last unknown turned out to be a weed! LOL. Anyway - as of late the plant has sent out a cluster of green berries - which are now beginning to turn a very dark, almost black, purple - but gradually - from the end up towards the stem. I decided to let it keep growing to see what develops. Just now I was reading "gardengoose's" (TM's) blog & linked over to "Small Town Living" - there was an article about what looked to be the very plant I just described - Elderberry. Could this be? I did not plant it - at least not intentionally! Id this plant a bush, tree? Or could it be something else? Sorry to sound so naive on this one - but I have no clue as to what is growing - any ideas?
can you take a leaf to a local nursery with a few of the berries? sometimes they will be nice enough to help you to identify a plant. or your local county extension office.
Elderberry is a bush with (eventually) many branches coming up out of the ground as well as branching off themselves. The leaves are fairly narrow, elongated and pointed at both ends. It has clusters of tiny white flowers in spring which become green berries and ripen to a bluish-black in late fall. The bush can grow quite tall. I never measured one, but I often have to bend branches down that are way over my head in order to reach the berries. Take Tina's advice, though, before you decide to try them. Better to be safe than sorry. If it turns out to be elderberry; what luck for you! Some bird must have left a deposit on your property with a wonderful surprise.
Oh, I just realized this weekend that MaryJane has a really nice picture of an elderberry bush in her first book under the Garden Gate section. That picture should give you a better idea.
Could it be Elderberry?
Posted - Oct 23 2007 : 7:01:12 PM
