Where can I find Elderflowers?
Elderflowers grow on bushes, the specific term for these is Sambucus. Depending on how old they are they can turn into a giant tree-like bush the size of a house. You can find them everywhere ranging from parks, fields, forests and alongside big streets.
Where can I buy elderflower UK?
Elderflowers come from the elder tree (Sambucus nigra) that generally grows as a shrub or small tree. It’s abundant throughout the UK, in woods and along roadside hedgerows. From late May you’ll see masses of tiny white flowers hanging in sprays which develop into purple elderberries later in the summer.
How long do Elderflowers last?
After 24 hours, pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the detritus, then pour through a funnel into reused screw-topped plastic bottles. Don’t use glass bottles because as the pressure of the fermenting fizz increases, they can explode! Leave the bottles for at least two weeks.
Can you pick Elderflowers?
Simply clasp your fingers at the base of the flower cluster and pull. This will avoid much of the stem. However, if picking elderflowers for fritters, snip the umbel off with enough stem to hang onto when dipping into batter. Just avoid eating that part when you enjoy these sweet treats.
Can I grow elderflower in my garden?
Elder will grow anywhere, and this is why, in the selected varieties, they make a useful garden plant. They will grow as happily on chalk as they will on thin acidic sand, and give them heavy, wet clay and they will put on more than a metre a year.
How do I identify an elderflower plant?
Elderflowers have a light creamy / pale yellow colour. The pollen gives the flowers their smell and colour. Avoid picking elderflower with a slightly brown appearance because it won’t be as fragrant…or tasty.
What other plants look like elderflower?
Many small white flowers are in bloom in Summer, and to the untrained eye, can appear to be very similar to elderflower. Some of the different trees, flowers and plants which can be mistaken for elderflower include: cow parsley, cowbane, pignut, hemlock, pyracantha, red osier dogwood, rowan and hawthorn.
Can you freeze fresh elderflowers?
Elderflowers do not do well frozen unless they are frozen in ice cubes. To preserve elderflowers, it is best to gently wash them and then hang them upside down to dry.
Should you wash elderflowers?
You’ll want about 25 heads. The pollen in the tiny elderflower blossoms is what makes the cordial so delicious and fragrant, which is why you don’t want to lose any of it. Holding each elderflower head over the crock, carefully snip the tiny blossoms into the crock. Do not wash the elderflowers before doing this!
Is it easy to grow elderflower?
They will grow as happily on chalk as they will on thin acidic sand, and give them heavy, wet clay and they will put on more than a metre a year. They are adaptable to sun or to shade, growing tighter and flowering more heavily in sun and more lushly in shade, where flowering will also be lighter.
When should you plant elderflower?
Plant young elders in autumn, digging a generous hole and adding mycorrhizal fungi to encourage root growth. Plant bare-root whips and small trees from autumn to spring, providing the soil isn’t frozen.
What can be mistaken for elderflower?
Elderflower can be confused with…
- Pyracantha. The flowers are larger, paler and more tightly packed than elderflowers. Note the brown anthers.
- Cow parsley. Grows from the ground, white flowers, no visible pollen and there are no leaves near the flowers.
- Cowbane. Very poisonous, do not eat.