Arrowwood vs Bob Gordon Elderberry

Arrowwood is a cold hardy, reliable, and vigorous shrub that can easily grow on difficult sites. Featuring an upright, rounded, and multi-stemmed form, this shrub produces creamy white flowers against a backdrop of deep green, serrated foliage.

The flowers give way to dark, blue berries that will attract wildlife to your yard. Depending on the plant, Arrowwood's striking fall color can range from yellow, red to reddish-purple.

Many use Arrowwood for naturalization or mass planting projects but, more commonly, you'll see this simple yet elegant shrub as a shrub border or planted on its own.

Bob Gordon Elderberry is a Black Elderberry cultivar that produces berries that are larger and sweeter than other varieties, making it one of the top cultivars. It produces large clusters of white flowers that turn into large clusters of dark purple to black berries. The berries are well-suited for baked goods, jams, jellies, and syrups. It was selected from the wild in Missouri.

The large berry clusters that the Bob Gordon Elderberry produces will often end up hanging downward. This makes it more difficult for birds to feed on the berries. If birds are a concern, this might be the right berry for you.

Black Elderberries are considered to be partially self-pollinating. So while they will still produce some berries without cross-pollination, planting with another variety will increase yields. Consider planting with Black Elderberry or Ranch Elderberry.

Warning: the seeds, stems, leaves, roots, and uncooked berries are toxic to humans when eaten in quantity. Berries should be cooked to make them safe for human consumption.

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