Stakes alive!

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The lovely blossoms and leaves of the blue elderberry, a Californian native

As you may recall, late last year Ms Town Mouse and I both pruned our Sambucus mexicana - blue elderberry - trees (or shrubs). Ms Town's post is here, and mine is here.

Funnily enough, as we, each in our respective gardens, pruned away, the same fine idea occurred to us both:

"These are some nice long straight branches - I think I'll set them aside to use for stakes."

Well, I set mine aside in a shady spot with their feet in a bucket to keep them together.


Then it rained.

A lot.

I went to check on something where they were stored and -

It's Alive! I'm propagating even when I don't mean to!
Wow! Quite a lot of the stakes are putting forth leaves!

Budding out in many nodes

So I've now put their feet in a large pot filled with potting mix and sand and soil, and am curious to see if they root, or if the growth of leaves is purely based on what moisture was in the stems...



Anybody want a Sambucus Mexicana plant, if they grow? I'm really not sure what I'll do with them if they do root - I'm just too curious not to at least give them a chance!


Comments

Jason said…
The Force is strong with Elderberries.
February 7, 2013 at 10:50 AM
ryan said…
Right. What Jason said. The Force is indeed strong. I've heard of that working with willows, so I could see how the Sambucus would have similar abilities. I also just saw a lot of ocotillos which are made into living fences that way. Sambucus are really beautiful, hopefully you can find a home for them.
February 7, 2013 at 12:00 PM
Country Mouse said…
Yes, the life force will out it seems. I also should have mentioned in this post that I stuck some hardwood cuttings of thimbleberry and they are likewise vigorous. I have shared plants before by posting them on the gardening with natives Yahoo group - always a delight to share with afficionados, though I don't want to tread on the professional nurserypeoples' toes! I don't think the odd plants I have to share now and then really count though.
February 7, 2013 at 5:05 PM
Queer by Choice said…
No blog post has ever had a more absolutely perfect title than this one.
February 7, 2013 at 6:17 PM
Country Mouse said…
Gayle you're right - I was happy about that -- I had a different title and then that just floated up from nowhere - thanking my Muse!
February 7, 2013 at 8:01 PM
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