Gardening: Wild berries and even wilder tales

HAVE you got any wild elderberry growing in your area? If you have then you should be well protected from witches, or so the story goes. There's tons of legends and lore surrounding this most wild of Irish plants, so read on to learn 'witch is true and witch is not.' The truth Elderberry is a tough, deciduous shrub or small tree, which rarely exceeds seven metres in height, and is more usually seen as a plant of approximately three metres tall with a similar spread. Growing at a fast rate, this vertical, shooting shrub can be found growing wild on limey, nitrogen-rich soils within hedgerows, scrub or wasteland, woodland edges and throughout many farmyard areas, primarily around the edges of dung pits. You may know of the elder through one of its other common names such as Black elder bush, Boon-tree, Bore tree, Bourtree, Pipe tree, or perhaps the most international of all, the Latin name Sambucus nigra. Elderberry is a standout wild plant at the moment, as just in every June and July its 10-20 cm-wide clusters of five petalled, creamy coloured flowers grace us with their presence. Smelled from a distance the scent of elder blooms is sweet and heady, but close up the scent intensifies to an overpowering, almost fishy aroma. This leads the flowers to be pollinated more by flies than bees, which is similar to our other native, the hawthorn. All the fertilized flowers eventually become fruits, which ripen in August and September to the plant's trademark juicy dark purple, almost black berries. The drooping clusters of 5 mm-wide individual fruits have been used to add flavour and colour to wine, jams, sauces and chutneys, however be aware that when uncooked they have been known to cause stomach upsets in some people. Country lore There are few plants that match our native elderberry for legends, tall tales, and 'cures.' Check out the following examples of country lore that I picked up from fellow gardeners: â€Â¢ 'We were told as children that if someone was hit with an elder stick that they wouldn't grow any bigger!' â€Â¢ 'The elder was the tree from which Judas Iscariot hanged himself after betraying Jesus.' â€Â¢ 'Fathers were warned that to make a child's cradle from the wood of the elder was an open invitation for the fairies to steal the child away.' (A possible tie-in with the Judas Iscariot tale). â€Â¢ 'If a maiden washes her face in the dew of elderflowers, she will prolong or retain her youthful beauty.' (Possibly fact, as extract of elder is used in skin cleansers to this day). â€Â¢ 'We were warned off sleeping under the elder, for fear you may never wake again.' (A trace of truth, because as well as having a strong scent, large quantities of elder leaves are thought to have a mild narcotic effect). â€Â¢ 'It was claimed that warts rubbed with a green elder twig subsequently buried in the garden would allow the warts to disappear as the twig rotted.' â€Â¢ 'We were told by our great aunt that if the bathwater from an ill person was poured around the base of the elder, that it would soak up the illness and cure the person.' One thing for certain is that elderberry was always held up as an unlucky plant, often connected with the fairy folk and their mischievous tricks. 'Trí comartha láthraig mallachtan: tromm, tradna, nenaid', according to this old Irish saying there are three signs of a cursed or barren place; the elder, the nettle and the lonesome calling corncrake. This has some basis in truth, as the elder is a very early colonizer of bare land, the seed of this pioneer species arriving through droppings from passing birds. All these legendary and supposed medicinal properties are fine, but what will the elder offer your garden, I hear you ask? Well, powerfully aromatic leaves surrounded through the seasons by flowers and fruit, with each leaf divided into five or seven lance-like leaflets with finely toothed edges. So strong is the aroma released whenever this foliage is crushed, that it renders the plant resistant to cattle and rabbit grazing, making it ideal for planting on the outskirts of sites. Most of my garden's elderberry plants have been presents from passing birds that just decided to drop an elderberry seed from either front or rear whilst in flight. A fly-by seeding, if you like. When the plants emerged I assessed whether they would cause a problem in their sprouting area. No problem, then I would leave them, otherwise they would be transplanted to a more preferable location. The elder is a plant well worth growing within your site, in my opinion, coping with partial shade, coastal winds, harsh pruning and the occasional tall tale or legend. Until next week, happy gardening and remember that a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.