Ranch Elderberry vs Falsebox - TreeTime.ca

Ranch Elderberry vs Falsebox

Sambucus canadensis Ranch

Paxistima myrsinites

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

CUSTOM GROW

Ranch Elderberry
Falsebox

Ranch Elderberry is a vigorous and high-yielding Black Elderberry cultivar. It ripens earlier than other varieties and is smaller and more compact making berry harvest easier. The berries are well-suited for baked goods, jams, jellies, and syrups. They are high in vitamin C and reported to be beneficial for the immune system.

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 Bob Gordon 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.

Falsebox is a hardy, native evergreen shrub found in forests, rocky slopes, and open woodland sites. Though small and easily overlooked among the leaves, the maroon flowers still supply nectar and pollen for pollinators such as native bees and flies. Blooming in spring, they provide an important early-season food source. Its year-round greenery adds visual interest through the winter.

Falsebox is a low-growing shrub that tolerates a wide range of conditions, including drought once established. It thrives particularly well beneath the shade of mature trees, where few other plants succeed. With its resilience and ecological value, Falsebox is well-suited for naturalization, restoration projects, and diverse landscape plantings.

Ranch Elderberry Quick Facts

Falsebox Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 5a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: prostrate to spreading
Spreading: layering - medium
Suckering: medium

Toxicity: leaves, stems, and uncooked berries are poisonous to humans

Foliage: evergreen, leathery leaves
Bark: reddish-brown
Flowers: fragrant, white
Flowers: small, maroon-purple, fragrant
Bloom time: summer
Berries: black
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: american elderberry ranch, american ranch elderberry, ranch american elderberry
Other Names: false box, mountain boxwood, mountain lover, myrtle boxwood, oregon boxleaf, oregon boxwood