Elderflower – Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) in a pot
Price range: £22.00 through £36.00
Size options
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- 30-60cm tall tree in a 2 litre pot
- 60-90cm tall tree in a 2 litre pot
- 1m-1.25m tall tree in a 2-10 litre pot
Home delivery between:
- Description
- Why buy from us?
- Delivery
- Additional information
Description
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
A fast‑growing native tree with fragrant spring flowers and wildlife‑rich berries — perfect for hedgerows, cottage gardens and naturalistic planting.
Elder is a classic UK native, valued for its creamy, fragrant spring flowers and dark purple berries in late summer. It grows quickly, supports a wide range of wildlife, and fits beautifully into hedgerows, cottage gardens and naturalistic planting schemes. Its flowers and berries can be used for cordials, wines and jams when properly prepared.Perfect For
- Hedgerows and mixed native borders
- Wildlife‑friendly planting
- Cottage and naturalistic gardens
- Foraging (flowers and cooked berries)
Why Choose Elder?
- Fragrant spring flowers ideal for cordials and pollinators
- Rich, dark berries for jams, wines and syrups (when cooked)
- Fast‑growing and hardy — establishes quickly in most soils
- Excellent wildlife value — flowers, berries and shelter
Final Height & Spread
- Height: 4–6m at maturity
- Spread: 3–5m
- Multi‑stemmed, bushy habit — ideal for hedgerows and informal planting
Growth Rate
- Fast — typically 40–60cm per year
- Very easy to establish and tolerant of most conditions
Wildlife Benefits
- Spring flowers attract bees and pollinators
- Berries are loved by birds such as blackbirds and thrushes
- Dense structure provides nesting and shelter
- Safety note: Raw berries, leaves and stems are toxic if eaten. Berries are safe when cooked thoroughly and are widely used in cordials and jams.
Why Buy From Cotswold Trees?
- 5‑star rated independent nursery
- UK‑grown trees
- 100% peat‑free from seed to sale
- Personal service and delivery via tracked courier
- Grown with care by a small, expert team
- Full planting instructions included with every tree
- Plant passport supplied with every order
Elder FAQs
How big does an Elder get?
Elder typically reaches 4–6m tall with a 3–5m spread, forming a bushy, multi‑stemmed shape.
Is Elder suitable for small gardens?
Yes — its manageable size and multi‑stemmed habit make it suitable for most gardens, especially informal or cottage styles.
How fast does Elder grow?
Fast growth, around 40–60cm per year once established.
Does Elder need special soil?
No — it thrives in most soils and is particularly tolerant of poor or disturbed ground.
Are Elder berries poisonous?
Raw berries, leaves and stems are toxic if eaten. Berries are safe when cooked thoroughly and are widely used for cordials, wines and jams.
Is Elder good for wildlife?
Yes — Elder is excellent for wildlife, providing nectar, berries and shelter throughout the year.
You may have some doubts about the idea of buying trees online. Let us explain how Cotswold Trees make every effort to meet your needs and the highest quality standards:
Customer focused
We're a small company, with a focus on customer satisfaction and treat every customer order with care and attention it deserves. Our customers often share their positive experience with us.
Careful delivery
Buy a small tree online and your courier delivered trees are tracked and 100% guaranteed. If your tree is lost or damaged in transit we will send another.
To ensure the larger specimen trees reach you in the best possible condition, we hand deliver these ourselves, within the Cotswolds, Midlands and central southern England and we’re thrilled to announce that all large tree deliveries will now be made using our new zero-emissions van. 🌱🚛
Highest quality
Cotswold Trees individually select, nurture, prune and protect you tree over its early life. We always strive to send our customers only the most healthy and high quality specimens. We also work to industry recognised plant health standards and we are a DEFRA registered issuer of plant passports.
Thriving tree guarantee
Your small tree (up to 90cm tall at time of delivery) is backed by our thriving tree guarantee - If your tree is not thriving after 1 year and was planted and watered in line with our recommendations, we’ll replace it free of charge.
Sustainability
It's our ambition is to achieve the highest sustainability standards in production and delivery of our trees.
- We minimise waste in the growing stages, packaging and transport
- Since September 2021 we have moved to Peat-Free compost
- Over 50% of our irrigation is fed by a rainwater harvesting system
- Our tree irrigation and monitoring systems are powered entirely by solar power
- All large tree deliveries are via zero-emissions electric van
Read more about our sustainable approach in our annual sustainability report.
Supplying high quality trees with convenient home delivery at nursery competitive prices
Standard delivery for small trees is only £3.95 per order
Our small trees up to 1.2m are packaged carefully in special double layer cardboard boxes and delivered reliably and safely via Yodel, DPD or Parcelforce.
We ship at least twice a week to ensure you receive new trees within 5 working days and often much sooner. All courier deliveries are accompanied with tracking details. Order more, save more, as the delivery charge is per order not per tree.
Medium trees delivered from £9.95
For some of our range we offer medium sized trees between 1.2m to 1.8m tall delivered by DPD for a flat rate of £9.95 each. As with the smaller trees these are packaged in custom boxes to protect your tree in transit. Most tree orders of this size are dispatched within 5 working days.
Delivering larger trees across the Midlands & the Cotswolds
For trees taller than 1.8m, we offer a reasonably priced delivery service across the Midlands and the Cotswolds. Cotswold Trees are able to bring your chosen trees directly to you at home, often within 2 weeks of ordering using our new zero-emissions electric van.
Our closest delivery zones will see deliveries as quickly as 7-14 days, with outer zones sometimes requiring a longer lead time. Of course, when you place an order, we will communicate with you individually to confirm our next delivery dates.
Additional information
| Size | 30-60cm tall, 60-90cm tall, 1m-1.25m tall |
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