Elderberry, Adams

Adams Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis 'Adams')

The Adams elderberry is a highly productive, vigorous variety of the native American elderberry, prized for its large clusters of deep purple-black berries. Known for its superior fruit quality, Adams produces sweet, juicy berries that are excellent for making syrups, jams, wines, and medicinal preparations. This easy-to-grow shrub is also a powerhouse for wildlife, providing nectar for pollinators in spring and a vital late-summer food source for birds.

Key Characteristics

• Abundant, Large Elderberries for Culinary and Medicinal Uses
  Adams produces heavy yields of dark, juicy elderberries, known for their high antioxidant and immune-supporting properties. The berries are ideal for making elderberry syrup, wine, jellies, and herbal remedies.

• Excellent Pollinator Plant with Showy Spring Blooms
  In late spring to early summer, Adams elderberry bursts into clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, making it a great addition to pollinator-friendly gardens.

• Supports Birds and Wildlife with Late-Summer Fruit
  The rich, nutrient-dense berries ripen in late summer, providing an important food source for songbirds, including robins, cedar waxwings, and bluebirds, as well as other wildlife.

• Thrives in Wet or Dry Soils and Works Well in Diverse Landscapes
  Adams is adaptable to a variety of conditions, thriving in both moist and moderately dry soils. It’s excellent for use in hedgerows, food forests, riparian plantings, and permaculture designs.

• Best Yields with Cross-Pollination
  While Adams is partially self-fertile, planting it alongside another elderberry variety, such as Johns or York, will significantly boost fruit production.

Product Details

• Native Range: Eastern and Central North America
• Plant Life Cycle: Perennial
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Requirements: Medium to wet, well-drained
• Mature Height: 6-10 feet
• Bloom Time: May - June
• Bloom Color: White
• Fruit Qualities: Large, dark purple-black berries; sweet and juicy when fully ripe
• Fruit Uses: Syrups, wines, jams, jellies, teas, medicinal preparations
• Fruit Ripening: August - September
• Pollination Requirements: Partially self-fertile, but higher yields with another elderberry variety (Johns or York)
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9

With its high-yielding fruit, pollinator-friendly blooms, and adaptability to diverse landscapes, Adams elderberry is an excellent choice for food forests, hedgerows, and medicinal gardens.