Four farmers in California’s Central Valley are part of a two-year project to see if elderberry bushes, commonly grown in hedgerows along the boundaries of a field, can be a profitable crop. The blue elderberry, a native plant in California, produces clusters of small, bluish-black berries with a sweet-tart flavor, says the University of California’s agriculture and natural resources division.
Elderberry orchards are popping up in the Midwest for a niche consumer market but in California the bush’s primary purpose is to attract beneficial insects, form a windbreak and sequester carbon. When elderberry products, such as a jam, syrup or liqueur, appear in California stores, they’re the result of foraging or they are imports.
“Elderberries may have the potential to combine crop production with environmental conservation functions in a way not typically seen on California farm,” said Sonja Brodt, principal researcher for the project. “This model would enable small- and medium-scale farmers to receive a direct income from a farm practice that benefits the ecosystem as well.” Elderberry orchards are unlikely because California restricts pruning of them because they may be home to the Valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a threatened species. The elderberry can grow to 20 feet tall.