Sounds good to me. They are listed in "Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas" by George Oxford Miller. It say "Its large size and spreading shape make it suitable for background and mass plantings along fences, walls, or Property lines. In mixed plantings, it is compatible in size and habitat with rusty blackhaws, roughleaf dogwood and button bush". I will probably be planting some myself this summer, if I can get some cutting started. They are abundant in this area.
I have an elderberry in the yard, species unknown...came up near a compost pile, where I'd thrown the remains from my herbal elderberry seed teas. I put a plant out by the creek that came up by by the stems of my original plant. It has now spread into a small grove out there. Sometimes I have to remove more sprouts that come up near the one in the yard. Love the flowers, beautiful! But yeah, they can spread...don't know if all the elderberry species do that.
I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. E. B.White
Integrity can never be taken. It can only be given, and I wasn't going to give it up to these people. Gary Mowad
Name: josephine Arlington, Texas (Zone 8a) Hi Everybody!! Let us talk native.
I have them, and yes they spread, but no problem to take out unwanted shoots, lovely plant for pollinators and birds.
It is almost evergreen here in zone 8, likes moist soil, and does better with a little shade rather than full sun.
Wildflowers are the Smiles of Nature.
Gardening with Texas Native Plants and Wildflowers.
We have elderberry on the other side of our fence in the forest. It is pretty in the spring and really has a nice spread for a backdrop as the OP says. If it's natural, I say, "Bring it!"
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
Thanks for all the responses on Elderberrys. One of my Master Gardener buddies is bringing me a transplant from her yard. I will pick it up at the Texas Thyme Unit's Herb Festival Saturday. They are having a sale and I need some herbs for a couple of new beds I am putting in. I'm also going to try some Borage in and around my tomatoes. I hear they are good companions and Borage helps protect the tomatoes from critters.
