Illustration
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Also called american elder, common elderberry and american black elderberry
American Elderberry blooms from June through July.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing American Elderberry
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 8.5 ft tall and 9 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (a house reading).
No toxicity note is on file for American Elderberry. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant, with what the sources could not settle written down; years to mature size rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one, and is marked so; its common name and alternate names have not been checked yet. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant American Elderberry
Plant American Elderberry in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does American Elderberry get?
8.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult9 ftwideSee American Elderberry in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant American Elderberry
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give American Elderberry about 9 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add American Elderberry to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
American Elderberry's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 7 published sources on September 23, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionGardener Plant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- The Morton Arboretumheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- extension.umaine.eduUniversity of Maine Cooperative Extension (Bulletin #2580)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil and diseases
- Prairie Moon Nurseryheight, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil, pests and toxicity
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterUniversity of Texas at Austinheight, sun, water, bloom months and color, soil, pests and toxicity
- petpoisonhelpline.comPet Poison Helplinetoxicity
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
2 more varieties in the Elderberry group
Same genus, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Elderberry group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Americanthis page | White | Jun–Jul | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 8.5 ft × 9 ft |
| Black Beauty | Foliage | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 10 ft × 8 ft |
| Black Lace | Foliage | Jun–Jul | Zones 4–7 | Full sun | 7 ft × 7 ft |
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.