Elderberry

Adams

Also known as Adams No. 1, Adams No. 2, Adams II

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

August

Zones

3-9

Disease

moderate; vigorous and productive

Size

6-10 ft tall, upright

Pollination

partially self-fertile; plant a second cultivar (e.g. York or Johns) for reliable, heavier fruit set

large clusters, good for juice, jelly, wine and dried — Classic New York selection with big berry clusters and strong vigor; plant with a second cultivar like York for best set. Chill-hour figure is an estimate only — no extension source gives a chill requirement for elderberry, which is cold-hardy and not chill-limited.

York

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

Mid to late August

Zones

4-8

Disease

moderate

Size

6-10 ft tall

Pollination

partially self-fertile; classic partner for Adams and a good pollinizer for other canadensis cultivars

largest berries of the American types; soft, sweet, juicy, highly pigmented — NY Ag Experiment Station release (Adams No. 2 x Ezyoff); produces the biggest berries in the group and ripens mid-to-late season, extending harvest alongside earlier cultivars. Zones corrected to 4-8 per WVU Extension. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate; elderberry has no documented chill requirement.

Nova

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

Early August

Zones

4-8

Disease

moderate

Size

6 ft tall and wide, compact

Pollination

partially self-fertile; often paired with York

large soft berries, sweeter than most; excellent for wine, juice and jam — Hardy, early-ripening Canadian (Kentville, Nova Scotia) selection that stays compact, making it a good pollinizer partner and small-yard choice. Zones corrected to 4-8 per WVU Extension. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate; elderberry has no documented chill requirement.

Johns

Also known as John's

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

Mid-August

Zones

3-9

Disease

moderate; very vigorous

Size

8-10 ft tall, large

Pollination

partially self-fertile; strong, heavy-flowering pollinizer for Adams and others

glossy firm purple-black fruit, excellent for wine and juice — Tall, vigorous Canadian cultivar valued as a heavy-flowering pollinizer and for wine and elderflower production. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate; elderberry has no documented chill requirement.

Bob Gordon

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

Late July to early August (later, into September, in some regions)

Zones

3-9

Disease

moderate to good; highly productive

Size

6-8 ft tall and wide

Pollination

partially self-fertile; a second cultivar improves yield

high-sugar (high-Brix) purple berries, top-rated for juice, wine and syrup — University of Missouri release (2011) whose downward-facing clusters resist bird and rain loss and give among the highest yields; a determinate, later-blooming type that ripens all at once. Harvest window per WVU is late July-early August but it ripens later in cooler regions. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate.

Wyldewood

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

Mid-August to early September

Zones

3-9

Disease

good; very heavy producer

Size

8-10 ft tall, large

Pollination

partially self-fertile; best pollinizers are Ranch and Bob Gordon (per WVU Extension)

small dark berries in very large heads, heavy juice yield — Late-ripening University of Missouri release (2010) with enormous, indeterminate flower and fruit heads and broad soil tolerance. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate; elderberry has no documented chill requirement.

Ranch

Partly self-fertile

Chill

300–600 hrs

Ripens

Late July to August

Zones

4-8

Disease

good; high pest tolerance and drought tolerant

Size

5-6 ft tall, compact

Pollination

partially self-fertile; a second cultivar improves yield

small black berries, good for juice and syrup — Compact, drought- and pest-tolerant University of Missouri selection that ripens early and stays short, ideal for hedgerows and small plots; also cited as a good pollinizer for Wyldewood. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate.

Marge

Also known as European black elder selection (Sambucus nigra type)

Partly self-fertile

Chill

400–700 hrs

Ripens

August to September

Zones

4-8

Disease

good; vigorous and high-yielding

Size

6-10 ft tall

Pollination

partially self-fertile; a single plant will crop, but yields are heavier with a second European (nigra-type) elderberry

very high anthocyanin; primarily a juice and medicinal berry, tart raw — A Sambucus nigra type (parentage debated; DNA leans nigra over hybrid). Marketed as self-pollinating and a single plant does fruit, but sources describe it as only partially self-fertile with heavier crops when a second European elderberry is present. Changed from 'yes' to 'partial'. Chill-hour figure is an unverified estimate; nigra types likely need somewhat more chill than canadensis.

Kent

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Very early; ripens 7-10 days before Adams No. 2

Zones

4-8

Size

vigorous, upright

Pollination

partially self-fertile; plant a second American cultivar for a heavier set

small but very sweet berries in large clusters; fairly high sugar — A 1957 Kentville, Nova Scotia seedling of Adams No. 1 and the earliest of the named cultivars, which is what makes it the pick for a short season - some Vermont growers call it the best all-around performer, and yields are reliable from the very first years. Zones 4-8 per Grimo Nut Nursery; MSU Extension E2747 lists Kent among elderberry cultivars hardy to USDA zones 4 to 9. No extension source gives a chill requirement for elderberry, so chill is left blank rather than guessed.

Scotia

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Late July to early September (species window); ripening period not established - UVM lists Scotia under 'Ripening Periods Uncertain' and MU gives no ripening figure for it

Zones

4-8

Size

upright

Pollination

partially self-fertile; fruits more heavily with another elderberry nearby

the sweetest of the elderberries and the smallest-fruited; highest sugar content — A 1959 Kentville, Nova Scotia seedling of Adams No. 2 and a sibling of Nova. UVM rates it the highest-sugar named cultivar and lists it as the smallest-fruited, and Grimo describes it as 'the smallest fruit, but the sweetest of the elderberries available' - the choice when you want to eat or juice it rather than maximize tonnage. MU af1017 is more restrained, saying only that the berries are sweeter than Kent or Victoria (the same phrase it uses for Nova), and describing the berries as medium to large; sources genuinely disagree on berry size because elderberry hybridizes freely. Ripening is unresolved: UVM files Scotia under 'Ripening Periods Uncertain' and MU gives it no ripening figure, so treat the harvest window as the species window rather than a mid-season slot. Zones 4-8 per Grimo Nut Nursery. Chill left blank: no extension source gives elderberry a chill requirement.

Victoria

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

Early; ripens 3-6 days before Adams No. 2

Zones

4-9

Size

moderately vigorous

Pollination

partially self-fertile; best set with a second cultivar

medium berries in medium clusters — A 1957 Kentville, Nova Scotia release and another Adams No. 2 seedling. Moderately vigorous with medium berries and clusters, ripening a few days ahead of Adams - a useful early partner rather than a headline yielder. Zones per MSU Extension E2747, which lists Victoria among elderberry cultivars hardy to USDA zones 4 to 9; parentage and fruit description from the UVM production guide, ripening figure from MU af1017. Chill left blank: elderberry has no documented chill requirement in any extension source.

Samdal

Also known as Sambucus nigra Samdal

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

September

Zones

4-8

Size

up to 10 ft tall; notably does not run or sucker far from the base

Pollination

partially self-fertile; plant with another European (nigra-type) elderberry to maximize production

large clusters of black fruit, particularly high in anthocyanins — A Danish Sambucus nigra cultivar praised in the UVM guide for excellent yield, high vigor and a grower-friendly habit that stays put instead of suckering across the bed. Important care consequence: like other nigra types it fruits on second-year wood, so the cut-to-the-ground pruning used on American elderberry would remove the crop - prune selectively instead. Zone rating deliberately tightened from the One Green World catalog's 3-8 to 4-8: zone 3 is not plausible for S. nigra, and UVM reports that European elderberry is significantly less winter hardy than S. canadensis with a poor survival rate in New England, so treat even zone 4 as needing a sheltered site. Ripening, size and fruit description per One Green World. Chill left blank - no sourced figure.

Haschberg

Also known as Sambucus nigra Haschberg

Partly self-fertile

Ripens

September

Zones

4-8

Size

6-8 ft tall

Pollination

partially self-fertile; plant two varieties for heavier crops

abundant clusters of large, juicy bluish-black berries — The standard commercial European black elder of Austrian and German orchards, hardy to about -25F and bearing within 2-3 years of planting. A nigra type, so it fruits on the previous year's wood and must not be cut to the ground the way American cultivars can be. UVM cautions that European elderberry is markedly less winter hardy than S. canadensis and ripens less uniformly over a longer period, so treat the catalog zone rating as optimistic outside a mild or sheltered site. Zones, size and traits from the One Green World catalog - nursery-sourced, hence the low confidence. No sourced chill figure.