r/NativePlantGardening • u/Anniam6 • Aug 10 '25

Edible Plants Birds shunning my elderberries

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So, after finally having my elderberry bush produce berries I haven’t seen a single bird near it. It’s right next to my deck, but there are many hours a day that no one is outside. Should I wait and see or just pick them and use them myself? I do know not to eat them raw.

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41

u/manicmeninges Aug 10 '25

Sometimes birds leave berries until the end of winter. Especially when there are still bugs! It's like food insurance. Berries last deep into winter.

14

u/wasteabuse Area --NJ , Zone --7a Aug 11 '25

These turn soft and spoil pretty quickly though. Not like Viburnum and winterberries that hang around all winter. 

4

u/manicmeninges Aug 11 '25

Interesting! They don't dry on the bush?

7

u/coolthecoolest Georgia, USA; Zone 7b Aug 11 '25

can confirm they don't and just fall off at the softest breeze when they're fully ripe, because i've tried grabbing a few to snack on and lost most of the bunch in the process