Common Elderberry is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8 and stands up to deer. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies, even though the fruit is the prize.
Common Elderberry — the short answer
Common Elderberry: grown in zones 4–8, part sun, pH 5.3–7.3.
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Hardy to zone 4a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 5.3–7.3
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Part Sun
- We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 30.2°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Common Elderberry on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether common elderberry actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score common elderberry against your land's real conditions.
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What Common Elderberry is
Common Elderberry grows as a perennial and reaches around twelve feet at maturity. It's also deer-resistant.
Mature height and deer resistance: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
How to grow Common Elderberry
Common Elderberry grows in USDA zones 4 through 8. Common Elderberry does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.3 to 7.3, on well-drained ground. It needs around 1,500 growing degree days to mature, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-8
Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-05).
Soil pH
5.3 - 7.3
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Part Sun
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Drainage
well (dry spells)
FAO ECOCROP
Frost Kill Temperature
30.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
41°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
GDD Required
1500+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Mature Height
12 ft
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant it right
Set common elderberry in part sun with well-drained soil. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Common Elderberry prefers pH 5.3 to 7.3 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Where Common Elderberry thrives
Common Elderberry is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–8 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 25 outright and splits 26 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–8·Where Common Elderberry growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Common Elderberry stands, state by state
Common Elderberry is rated for zones 4–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 25 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 26 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–8
25 states
3 of 25 shown
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Common Elderberry
Growing guides for common elderberry
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — common elderberry is toxic to dogs and cats (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.)
Common Elderberry offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Before you harvest common elderberry, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant common elderberry for food. Our free screen reads 8 federal source types across roughly 950K indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside Common Elderberry's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Common Elderberry will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether common elderberry actually takes. We score it against the mapped and modelled conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Common Elderberry
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Common Elderberry in my zone?
Common Elderberry grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 (Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-05).). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Common Elderberry?
Set common elderberry out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Common Elderberry need?
Common Elderberry does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Common Elderberry need?
Common Elderberry prefers soil pH 5.3 to 7.3, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's mapped soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Common Elderberry attract pollinators?
Yes — common elderberry's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Is Common Elderberry safe for pets?
Common Elderberry is toxic to dogs and cats with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.)
Keep exploring Common Elderberry
Common Elderberry state by state
Every state common elderberry's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's common elderberry growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.