What’s is this shrub?

westonwhitetail

5 year old buck +
This is located by my house as well as at my hunting land. It seems to be browsed quite a bit. At the land it is pretty thick in areas that have been logged on the past. Is this a good one or bad one to have? I’m worried when I log someday this could spread and if it’s not good I may have some work to do. Hopefully you can ID with winter pics but I can post more this spring too. I cannot find a good match to it in my online searches. Thanks



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It looks like elderberry. Deer will browse it like you said. Other wildlife will use the berries in the summer. It’s good to have around.
 
Hard to ID some types of stuff at this time of the year.
Possibly Pokeweed?
 
I’m liking elderberry also. But it is tough this time of year.
 
Sure seems to look like elderberry from the pics I’m seeing on google now, thanks everyone!


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Agree it is elderberry. That is a good find. I would be happy you have quite a bit of it. Many of us on this site try to get it growing on our properties. It has a lot of positives cover, browse, and edible berries that almost all birds and animals like.
 
Agree it is elderberry. That is a good find. I would be happy you have quite a bit of it. Many of us on this site try to get it growing on our properties. It has a lot of positives cover, browse, and edible berries that almost all birds and animals like.

Yeah I see some places where people have trouble establishing it because it gets browsed and killed. So I’m happy to have it. They are definitely bedding near the clusters of it on the ridges and most of its browsed well. I was concerned because it seemed to have filled in a lot of spaces where there’s openings in the canopy, seemed like it was invasive, but this is good news!


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You will find that elderberry can grow out of the reach of deer over time in low density areas. Just give it a hair cut and bring it down to within reach again. I have a decent amount of it and it seems to like damp soil conditions with a decent amount of sunlight.
 
You will find that elderberry can grow out of the reach of deer over time in low density areas. Just give it a hair cut and bring it down to within reach again. I have a decent amount of it and it seems to like damp soil conditions with a decent amount of sunlight.

J-bird, that very well could be the case. Do you cut it back to 2-4 feet tall so the young growths is within reach then?


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I've made maple syrup taps out of it before.
 
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J-bird, that very well could be the case. Do you cut it back to 2-4 feet tall so the young growths is within reach then?


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I do, but I have a low deer density and thus how it grows beyond the reach of the deer. I would suggest you take measures to ensure that when you do cut it back that you don't simply allow the deer to destroy it. I would either trim back only half the plant, trim back half of the plants you have, or trim it back and then cage it and let the deer get whatever grows beyond the cage. My thinking here is to ensure the deer don't browse it to death/wipe them out. I'm not saying that will happen, but it's better to be cautious. Once you see how hard the deer hit it, then you can see if it's worth the extra caution.

I would also have to look but I "think" elderberry is able to be grown from cuttings....so you could look into that if you want more of them.
 
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I do, but I have a low deer density and thus how it grows beyond the reach of the deer. I would suggest you take measures to ensure that when you do cut it back that you don't simply allow the deer to destroy it. I would either trim back only half the plant, trim back half of the plants you have, or trim it back and then cage it and let the deer get whatever grows beyond the cage. My thinking here is to ensure the deer don't browse it to death/wipe them out. I'm not saying that will happen, but it's better to be cautious. Once you see how hard the deer hit it, then you can see if it's worth the extra caution.

I would also have to look but I "think" elderberry is able to be grown from cuttings....so you could look into that if you want more of them.
Maybe somebody could chime in, but from what I have seen I think it is almost impossible for deer to destroy elderberry or dogwood once their roots are well established. I have mowed them both down with a brush hog and they come back strong. I have some on my hunting land with a medium deer herd and although they browse it and eat the berries they still are about 5 - 6 ft tall every year. J- bird is correct, like dogwood they can be established thru cuttings. I 've had some success with them . I would suggest protecting them for a couple years.
 
Maybe somebody could chime in, but from what I have seen I think it is almost impossible for deer to destroy elderberry or dogwood once their roots are well established. I have mowed them both down with a brush hog and they come back strong. I have some on my hunting land with a medium deer herd and although they browse it and eat the berries they still are about 5 - 6 ft tall every year. J- bird is correct, like dogwood they can be established thru cuttings. I 've had some success with them . I would suggest protecting them for a couple years.

you are correct they can be mowed to the ground and they’ll come back. I’ve had success with cuttings also. And not just year old growth cuttings. I’ve stuck cuttings in that were 2” in diameter and had them grow.
 
Thanks all, I think I’ll let it be and possibly trim some lower to experiment this year. I may need to look at planting cuttings of other types of shrubs to add some diversity in the future


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Thanks all, I think I’ll let it be and possibly trim some lower to experiment this year. I may need to look at planting cuttings of other types of shrubs to add some diversity in the future


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Elderberry cuttings are very easy. Take dormant cuttings about finger diameter long enough to have 2 buds below the soil and 2 above. Make an angular cut on the distal end. Jam a screwdriver in the ground and wiggle it enough to make a hole to fit. Put the cutting in the hole and push the soil around it and add some water. If you want to improve success rates even more, you can dip the distal end in some rooting hormone.
 
Elderberry cuttings are very easy. Take dormant cuttings about finger diameter long enough to have 2 buds below the soil and 2 above. Make an angular cut on the distal end. Jam a screwdriver in the ground and wiggle it enough to make a hole to fit. Put the cutting in the hole and push the soil around it and add some water. If you want to improve success rates even more, you can dip the distal end in some rooting hormone.

Why do you put them in upside down?
 
You don't.
 
Then the proximal end would go in the dirt, not the distal end.
 
Then the proximal end would go in the dirt, not the distal end.
Distal is furthest from center of a body. Typically when we are talking roots and rooting, the distal end is the point end where it grows. I think you have them backwards. However, since it is a cutting, I can see the perspective where they are reversed.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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