Description
The Staple of Today’s Elderberry Industry, Market and Backyard Grower
Wyldewood is a wild selection made by Jack Milliken in 1995 near Eufaula, Oklahoma. After being provided to the ‘Elderberry Improvement Project’ in 1998 by Marge Milliken (known as the “Grandmother of the Elder World”) it eventually became the first elderberry cultivar released by the University of Missouri in 2010.
Considered an improved cultivar of elderberry, it has become the “go-to” staple of the current elderberry industry in the US. Capable of bearing fruit on primocane (1st year) wood, it is an indeterminant elder and ripens fruit over a period of 3-4 weeks, typically after most other cultivars of elderberry have finished up. Wyldwood grows very vigorously (especially in warmer climates), often reaching 7-8 feet tall. It produces heavy amounts of flowers and fruits and has the largest cymes (flower heads) of any American cultivar which can reach up to 12 inches across. The fruit itself ripens uniformly in the cymes and is resistant to shattering.
*NOTE: Elderberries must be cooked before consumption. Consuming raw elderberries can be toxic. Please ensure all berries are properly prepared before use.
Key Features of Wyldewood:
* Wild-selection by Jack Milliken near Eufaula, Oklahoma in 1995
* First improved elderberry cultivar released by the University of Missouri in 2010
* Indeterminate (ripens fruit over a period of time)
* Improved vigor
* Improved size of flower/fruit cymes (heads)
* Improved yield size
* Produces fruit on primocane (1st year) wood
* Fruit ripens uniformly in cymes
* Fruit resists shattering
All elderberries are grown in pots and are shipped barerooted when dormant, similar to our mulberries and persimmons.
USDA Zones: 3-9
Spacing: 6-8’ apart
Growth Habit: Indeterminate; 6-8’ tall and 6-8’ wide; upright and rounded
Other Considerations: Elderberries require another cultivar (different name) of American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) or seedling for cross-pollination to ensure and increase good fruit yield. In warmer climates or longer growing seasons, some growers will mow or cut canes down to the ground once established as they will produce fruit on primocanes (the current season’s growth). Make sure to do your own research to see if this is a good practice for your planting.
