Foraging for elderberries (s. nigra) in Ohio

sailaway · 06-29-2009, 02:21 PM

[QUOTE=The_Blob;12859]"your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries!"

"I fart in your general direction."

I hope you used an outrageous French Accent!!!

doc66 · 06-30-2009, 07:23 PM

Elderberrys are a pain in the butt to harvest. Most people let the tree get too big to harvest well. As for locations... I have none to suggest other than keep an eye out for them, many times you'll find that people don't even know they have the tree until the birds are pooing blue all over their cars.

sailaway · 07-01-2009, 12:59 PM

I guess they are around the Ohio area, I was at the Planktown Rd. Amish bulk foods store and saw Elderberry Jam for sale.

CVORNurse · 07-01-2009, 03:52 PM

ok, at the risk of sounding like an idjit ( slang for idiot around here), is this plant an elderberry? My mom was introduced to fire ants when we first moved to this area foraging for Poke Salad, but no one I knew of foraged for elderberry.

These were not here when we first moved in 20 years ago, they just showed up at some point. I thought they were some sort of weed and have been chopping down the ones by the house until I chanced across this post and started searching on elderberry. Now I am curious to know if that is what these are.

OldFashionedMama · 07-05-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CVORNurse

ok, at the risk of sounding like an idjit ( slang for idiot around here), is this plant an elderberry? My mom was introduced to fire ants when we first moved to this area foraging for Poke Salad, but no one I knew of foraged for elderberry.

These were not here when we first moved in 20 years ago, they just showed up at some point. I thought they were some sort of weed and have been chopping down the ones by the house until I chanced across this post and started searching on elderberry. Now I am curious to know if that is what these are.

Yup those are elderberries!!!! I just found one in my mom's yard....wasn't there 5 years ago. They seem to spring up out of nowhere, and they grow very quickly. They shouldn't be allowed to get too tall, otherwise you need tree loppers to harvest the berries.

OldFashionedMama · 07-05-2009, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc66

Elderberrys are a pain in the butt to harvest. Most people let the tree get too big to harvest well. As for locations... I have none to suggest other than keep an eye out for them, many times you'll find that people don't even know they have the tree until the birds are pooing blue all over their cars.

Yes..this happened last year at my dad's place. It seems to me that elder trees grow but don't produce flowers or fruit for the first several years. One decided to "wake up" last summer...no one had ever noticed it before because it never bloomed-but when it did we realized how HUGE it was and couldn't believe no one had ever seen it before. I was taking a look at it last night at our July 4th party and as long as someone throws a net over it to keep out the birds, it will be dripping with berries. (so I guess my original question has been answered LOL!)

CVORNurse · 07-05-2009, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldFashionedMama

Yup those are elderberries!!!! I just found one in my mom's yard....wasn't there 5 years ago. They seem to spring up out of nowhere, and they grow very quickly. They shouldn't be allowed to get too tall, otherwise you need tree loppers to harvest the berries.

OMG(hanging head). I have been breaking the limbs off for the past year and feeding them "weeds" to the goats, who love them, btw.
Oh boy, now that I know....... My hubby brought home to me a bottle of elderberry wine several years ago, it was yummy. I will be watching them from now on. They certainly seem to propogate freely. There are small ones coming up all in the back yard. Hubby will groan I am sure, but at least I do have one source of berry in the immediate yard. He already is shaking his head because I want him to leave the Poke salad alone, it is all over the same general area. I have no immediate plans to eat it, but if it is there... and my mom and dad may want an occasional mess to remind them of their childhoods.

Just goes to show you how important it is to learn about your local environment. Guess it really is past time for me to invest in some sort of plant identification book.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

OldFashionedMama · 07-06-2009, 02:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CVORNurse

OMG(hanging head). I have been breaking the limbs off for the past year and feeding them "weeds" to the goats, who love them, btw.
Oh boy, now that I know....... My hubby brought home to me a bottle of elderberry wine several years ago, it was yummy. I will be watching them from now on. They certainly seem to propogate freely. There are small ones coming up all in the back yard. Hubby will groan I am sure, but at least I do have one source of berry in the immediate yard. He already is shaking his head because I want him to leave the Poke salad alone, it is all over the same general area. I have no immediate plans to eat it, but if it is there... and my mom and dad may want an occasional mess to remind them of their childhoods.

Just goes to show you how important it is to learn about your local environment. Guess it really is past time for me to invest in some sort of plant identification book.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

I think elder trees are gorgeous in bloom! No need to tear them down. I personally despise pokeberries and the miserable plant that bears them...but I had to pull out poke roots that were decades old from an old garden and it was not fun. If your elder is still flowering, go take a big whiff of the blossoms. It isn't what you'd call a pleasant scent, but it is totally intoxicating. Some legends say to sleep under an elder is to risk insanity, still others warn never to make any furniture out of elder wood, especially baby cribs. The spirit of the tree will pinch the baby, or the person unfortunate enough to sit in a chair made of elder. Burning elder is even worse, bringing misfortune and the wrath of the elder spirit. (sorry I'm into all that voodoo hocus-pocus LOL!)

The Audubon Society has an excellent field guide with hundreds of real life, color photographs. Peterson's is good as well. However, I have a liking for the guides written around the turn of the century. We have one titled "How To Know The Wild Flowers", written by a Mrs. William Starr Dana. Not only is her expertise in botany intensely accurate and complete, her descriptions of the plants are very entertaining. It isn't just a field guide, it's a literary masterpiece. The edition we have was published in 1912, but I believe the first edition was in 1900.

OldFashionedMama · 07-09-2009, 06:47 PM

I'VE FOUND IT!!!!! I'VE FOUND THE PLACE!!!!!!!...

unfortunately it is located in Mill Creek Park. My husband and I took a walk on a remote path yesterday evening and found it overflowing on the bank of a stream that feeds into Lake Newport. The entire area is a wild food goldmine, loaded with blackberries, elderberries, river grapes, and who knows what else.

In previous experiences dealing with the park, I know they are rather hostile to anyone picking anything and will fine you or ban you from the park if you are caught. However, this area is so hidden away the chances of anyone seeing us would be low. It's pretty swampy and gross back there, and it didn't look like many people used this path. But at least I know where to go...

lanahi · 08-19-2009, 08:40 AM

I live in a place with a wild area in back that is a virtual garden of Eden. You can stand in one place without moving and pick three different kinds of fruits! I've found three elderberry trees among them. I would try planting some of the berries and try to get them to grow.