Watch this quick video to learn how to grow elderberries in your own backyard for culinary or medicinal use…

Elderberries are commonly known as an immune-system booster and elderberry syrup is a popular home remedy for colds and the flu. You can also make jam, jelly, and wine with elderberries.

Growing up on the farm, my family made quarts of elderberry syrup (and sometimes jelly) every summer. I remember many late summer days with hands dyed purple as my sisters and I picked the berries and helped my mother clean, mash, and prepare them for canning. Then we enjoyed the thick, rich purple syrup on pancakes all year long! (Little did we know that one day, a similar product would be sold in tiny bottles as a tonic on health food store shelves everywhere…)

This video from Melissa Norris, author of The Made-From-Scratch Life, shares some helpful tips for growing your own elderberries. While they grow wild in much of the U.S. , sometimes it can be hard to find them, or even if they are growing nearby, you may not want to use them if you aren’t sure whether or not they contain pesticide residues (which are commonly used along many roadsides where elderberries often grow wild).

However, they are fairly easy to grow organically as long as you follow a few simple tips. Watch the short video below to learn more about elderberry planting care, pollination, pruning tips, and more: