Scotia Elderberry
Scotia Elderberry
Species: Sambucus canadensis
History: Scotia was developed at the Kentville AAFC Research and Development Centre in Nova Scotia. It is a seedling of another variety, Adams 2, and was released by the research station in 1960, alongside the variety Nova. It is grown commercially in Canada.
Why We Grow It: Scotia elderberries ripen early in the season and have the highest sugar content of any named cultivar- though also some of the smallest berries. They are great for a variety of uses such as making juice and wine, baked goods, and even tinctures. Eating the raw elderberries can cause adverse reactions so it is recommended that you cook them first!
Fruit Specs
Fruit Specs
Recommended Use: Juice, wine, preserves, baking
Fruit Size: Small
Storage: Keeps about a week in the fridge
Harvest: July - Late
Growing Specs
Growing Specs
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 4
Soil Preference: Prefers loam but adaptable to different soil types
Flowering Time:
Bloom Colour: White
Pollination Requirements: Partially self-pollinating, will produce some fruit on its own but will produce more and better fruit with another elderberry variety planted nearby
Sun/Shade Requirements:
Full sun to partial shade (approx. 6-10 hours of sun daily)
General Growth Habits:
Shrub grows up to 2m tall, vigorous with an upright growth habit
Shipping vs. Pick Up
Shipping vs. Pick Up
CLICK HERE to see how shipping compares to pick up.
Shipping: Every year we ship thousands of trees across Canada (except BC due to CFIA regulations). We carefully bag roots in damp sawdust, then box them and send them out via courrier. CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.
Pick-up: We also have thousands of trees picked up from our nursery each year. The pick-up options is free, though you must wait until you have been emailed a confirmation that your order is ready to pick up, which will have further information such as hours, locations, etc. We really appreciate if you can make an appointment to pick up, then we can be as organized as possible during our busy season.
Size at Purchase
Size at Purchase
Elderberries are divided into the following grades:
- Rooted Cuttings - ~15cm including roots
- 1 year plant - 15-40cm above the roots
There is some overlap in size since we are also taking the age of the plants into account. Some older plants may not have put on quite as much vegetative growth but will have larger root systems.
Unless specified, heights exclude the roots since seedlings and some berries will often have a lot of root growth but relatively little vegetative growth (ex. our Shagbark Hickories seedlings are often 5-15cm above the soil but will have roots that reach 20cm+ in length).
Not all of our berries and seedlings will be available in all of these grades since growth rate can vary significantly across species and even varieties. While we remain competitive in our plant size, it's also worth noting we don't use synthetic chemicals to push vegetative growth, therefore you may find conventional nursery stock larger in some instances comparatively.