Growing elderberry
berry / bush fruit
WINTER CHILL NEEDED
~200–600 hrs
POLLINATION
Partly self-fertile — crops much better with a partner
Pollination
Crops far better with a second variety flowering at the same time.
Growing it
Zones 3-9. Fast, big, and adaptable, including to wet ground. Cook the berries; raw fruit, leaves and stems are mildly toxic.
Will you get enough chill?
Elderberry needs roughly 200–600 hours between 32 and 45 °F over winter to break dormancy evenly. Check your area with the chill hours calculator. Low-chill breeding has pushed many varieties well below the figure here, so read the plant tag.
Chill and pollination are given at the fruit-type level; specific cultivars can differ. Values are typical ranges for home-garden planning.