Elderberry seeds come from shrubs known for fragrant white flowers and dark berries used in syrups/jams, requiring specific warm/cold treatments (stratification) to germinate, as untreated seeds stay dormant; they grow into fast-spreading bushes with medicinal/ornamental value, but seeds, stems, leaves, and roots contain toxins, so only ripe, cooked berries are safe. 

Type: Hardy, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrubs/small trees.

Flowers: Tiny, fragrant, white/cream, in large, flat-topped clusters (umbels) in spring/early summer.

Fruit: Clusters of dark purple-black berries (or red, depending on variety) in late summer, edible when cooked.

Size: Typically 5-12 feet tall, can form colonies by suckering.

Habitat: Prefers moist soils, found in woodlands, streambanks, roadsides. 

Appearance: Very small, dark seeds.

Dormancy: Seeds have deep dormancy and need specific pretreatment (stratification) to sprout.

Treatment: Requires a warm period (60 days) followed by a long, cold, moist period (150 days), mimicking winter conditions.

Planting: Sow shallowly (just under surface), keep moist; usually takes 1-3 years to establish from seed.

Note: Growing from cuttings is often faster and more predictable than from seed. 

Uses & Caution

Culinary: Flowers for cordials; cooked berries for syrups, jams, jellies, wines.

Wildlife: Flowers attract pollinators; berries feed birds.

Medicinal: Berries used in immune-supportive syrups.

TOXICITY: Seeds, leaves, stems, and roots contain cyanide-inducing glycosides; must be cooked to be safe. 

Scotch bonnet, also known as bonney peppers, or Caribbean peppers, is a variety of chili pepper named for its resemblance to a tam o' shanter hat. It is ubiquitous in West Africa. Most Scotch bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville units.

WEAR GLOVES WHEN HANDLING, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES! WASH HANDS AFTER TOUCHING!

Cultivar: 'Scotch Bonnet'

Heat: Very hot

Scoville scale: 100,000–350,000 SHU

Yellow Scotch Bonnet - This pepper gives Jamaican chicken dishes their special flavor! Scotch Bonnet goes by several names including Jamaican Hot, Martinique Pepper and Bahama Mama. It is closely related to the habanero, but with a sweeter flavor and stouter shape. The pods are 1-1/2" wide and 1-1/2" long and have a citrus-like flavor with a lot of heat. They mature from green to bright yellow on very productive 24" tall plants.  Capsiucum chinense (90 days). 

Capsiucum chinense strains require a great deal of attention during the germination process. Moisture and a constant and consistent heat range must be maintained. Place the seeds in sterile media and cover 1/4” deep. Provide 85°F bottom heat, bright light and keep moist at all times. Seeds will germinate in 7 - 21 days. Transplant seedlings into pots and grow until there are 6 true leaves on the plant. Plant them directly into rich soil, 30” apart or into containers. 

100,000 – 350,000 SHU — similar heat range to a Habanero pepper, delivering strong heat with rich flavor.:

The Guyana Wiri Wiri is a small, round cherry-shaped chili pepper traditionally grown in South America, especially in Guyana. These vibrant peppers mature into bright red and yellow colors and are known for their intense heat balanced with a fruity, slightly smoky flavor. Wiri Wiri peppers are commonly used in Caribbean and Guyanese cooking, particularly in hot sauces, stews, marinades, and pepper sauces. Despite their tiny size, they pack a powerful punch and are prized for their aromatic taste and vibrant appearance.

Mazzard Cherry is a robust and determined cherry tree that offers high yields of tiny, delicious cherries! This wild-ish variety is extremely disease resistant and works great as a root stock for grafting other varieties. Mazzard is productive but also incredibly beautiful!

Sweet Cherry, (Mazzard Cherry), Prunus avium, Tree Seeds Hardy, Adaptable, Easy to Grow, Fast Growth, Showy Fragrant Flowers, Fall Color, Edible Fruits, Attracts Birds and Butterflies, Wildlife Food/Shelter, Shade Tree, Timber, Cold Tolerant Prunus avium is a deciduous fruiting tree that typically grows 20 to 30 feet tall in cultivation but may reach 60 feet in its native habitat. It is native to Europe and Asia and has been cultivated in the United States since colonial times.

It is a parent of many of the sweet cherry cultivars sold in commerce today for fruit production such as the popular Bing Cherry. Fragrant white flowers to 1.5 inches appear singly or in 3 to 5 flowered clusters in spring slightly before the foliage emerges. Flowers are followed by small sweet red to black cherries which ripen in early summer.

Strawberry spinach is a bit of a misnomer. It is related to spinach and the leaves taste similar, but its berries share little with strawberries beyond color. The leaves are edible, but their flavor is very light and only mildly sweet.

Confound your friends at dinner parties with "fruit" in the salad bowl! You can eat the leaves of the same plant like spinach. And the roots like radishes too!! This very quick growing and amusing plant produces little red "strawberries" all the way along its stems.

SOWING ADVICE

SOW IN SPRING OUTSIDE, DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUND OR IN POTS. KEEP MOIST IN A WARM, LIGHT SPOT. PLANT OUT IN GOOD GARDEN SOIL FOR BEST RESULTS.

Grape vines will rapidly climb your patio trellis and provide you with welcome summer shade and delicious grapes.