Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Grass
Flowering Plants, Fruits, Herbs, Shrubs
Origin
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Australia, South America
Types
Sporobolus heterolepis
Adams Elderberry, Black Beauty Elderberry, Black Lace Elderberry, Johns Elderberry, Nova Elderberry
Number of Varieties
150
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Hay fields
Farms, Homesteads, Near organic waste disposal
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-84-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 2
8-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm9.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
50.80 cm8.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
Tan, Bronze
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Compound
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Early Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Part sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
Pollution
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires regular watering, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loamy, Sandy, Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Part sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut or pinch the stems, No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune in winter, Prune ocassionally, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Canker, Leaf spot, Powdery mildew, Stem spot, Tomato Ringspot Virus
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
-
Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
constipation, Fever, Heart problems, High cholestrol, HIV/AIDS, Nerve pain, swine flu
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
-
Botanical Name
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
Sambucus nigra
Common Name
Prairie Dropseed
Elderberry
In Hindi
prairie dropseed
Elderberry
In German
Prärie Dropseed
Holunderbeere
In French
prairie dropseed
Sureau
In Spanish
dropseed pradera
Saúco
In Greek
λιβάδι dropseed
Elderberry
In Portuguese
pradaria dropseed
Sabugueiro
In Polish
łąka dropseed
Bez czarny
In Latin
PRATUM grama
Elderberry
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Poales
Dipsacales
Family
Poaceae
Adoxaceae
Genus
Sporobolus
Sambucus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1030
1
27800
👆🏻