It is stunningly beautiful with white flowers and deep red fruits. The deer elderberry is also tough. Get to know the wild woodland better here. Our plant portrait shows what the relative of the black elderberry can do.
What is special about deer elderberry?
The deer elder is an ornamental and fruit tree with a growth height of 300-400 cm and a growth width of 200-300 cm. Its attractions are the creamy white flowers in spring and bright red berries in late summer. It prefers moderately dry, sunny locations and is easy to care for.
A breathtaking silhouette
The ornamental and fruit tree brings opulent abundance to every garden. Closely related to the majestic black elder, the deer elder reaches similar dimensions. An enchanting creamy white flower in April and May is followed by bright red berries in August. While it is only edible by humans when cooked, it is primarily the birds in the garden who enjoy the rich fruit snack. The details:
- Growth height: 300 to 400 centimeters
- Growth width: 200 to 300 centimeters
- robust shallow-rooted plant in Europe and Western Asia
- bronze-colored to reddish leaf shoots that slowly turn green
- oppositely arranged leaflets with serrated edges
- light red drupes with poisonous seeds
- decorative, golden yellow autumn colors
- valuable bird food plant
The importance of the deer elder as a fruit tree is of secondary importance. The grape-shaped fruit hanging is particularly popular because of its decorative effect. The ornamental shrub shows off its visual advantages just as impressively as a solitary plant or as a hedge plant.
Location preferences are a minor matter
The deer elder proves its stable constitution through its frugal demands on the site conditions. It reaches its optimum in moderately dry, sunny locations. Its middle name 'mountain elder' indicates its tolerance of altitudes up to 2300 meters. If you assign it a place in partial shade or shade, the frugal elderberry will adapt perfectly. Only waterlogging causes problems for this versatile shrub.
Care tips worth knowing
In terms of care, the deer elder demands little from the gardener. The following tips reflect the central aspects:
- improve the bed soil with compost (€41.00 on Amazon) and horn shavings
- water the shallow-rooted plant thoroughly when it is dry
- cut back every 1-2 years in autumn
- fertilize organically every 3-4 weeks during growth
- do not use defrosting s alts near him
Tips & Tricks
The deer elderberry sheds its pretty fruit at the same time as the leaves in autumn. To ensure that the nutritious berries are not lost to the birds, harvest the cones in good time. When dried, they turn into sought-after bird food for the barren winter period.
