My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Sweet Elder deer resistant?

Sambucus canadensis

Flat white elderflower heads
Photo, CC BY 2.5. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 2 of 4 · Seldom Severely Damaged

Mostly. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–8
Light
Part shade
Height
60–144 in
Bloom
Spring and Summer
Maintenance
Moderate
Native range
44 US states
Toxic to
dogs and cats

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Sweet Elder

Flat cream flower heads then heavy purple-black fruit for jelly and wine. Plant two different cultivars for reliable cropping. The raw berries and all green parts are toxic; cooking the ripe fruit resolves it. Suckers into a thicket.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 7
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
71 to 118 in apart
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Moderate

Similar to Sweet Elder

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Sweet Elder grows

Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone, and native to 44 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.California — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — native, and hardy. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — native, and hardy. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Sweet Elder

Is Sweet Elder deer resistant?
Sweet Elder (Sambucus canadensis) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged, step 2 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
What hardiness zones does Sweet Elder grow in?
Sweet Elder is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Sweet Elder grow in shade?
Yes. Sweet Elder tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Sweet Elder get?
Mature height is roughly 60–144 in. Growth rate is fast.
Is Sweet Elder toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Sweet Elder as toxic to dogs and cats. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Sweet Elder belongs to.

All shrubs·Seldom damaged·Part shade plants

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6·Zone 7·Zone 8

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .