How to Care for Yellow Elder Plants
- 1). Select a spot in your garden that receives full sun and is well drained. If you're planning to use your yellow elder as a potted plant, use a large tub or pot that has a drainage hole in the bottom and fill it with garden soil. Dig a hole somewhat larger than the root ball and set the plant in the hole; fill with soil and tamp down firmly.
- 2). Water the plant well after you first plant it, but after that, allow the soil to become slightly dried out before watering again. The yellow elder is drought resistant, and it does not do well if overwatered. If you live in a rainy climate, normal rainfall will usually be sufficient; in drier climates, water periodically when the soil has dried out.
- 3). Remove faded flowers to encourage more blooms throughout the blooming season. You should also remove any seed pods as they form to further encourage blooming, unless you want to try your hand at growing yellow elder from seeds. If so, allow a few pods to ripen and harvest them when they begin to split open.
- 4). Prune occasionally as desired. Pruning will encourage your yellow elder to become bushier and also produce more flowers. If you decide not to prune, your yellow elder can grow as high as 20 feet in warmer climates when planted in the ground.
- 5). Bring potted yellow elders indoors before the first frost. If you've planted your yellow elder in the ground and live in U.S.D.A. zones 8 to 11, after the first hard frost, you should cut the plant back to the ground. But don't worry; your yellow elder will come back again in the spring.