I am not sure exactly how it got damaged, but I have some wild elderberry bushes/trees on the edge of my yard, and apparently another tree came down on it/them in a storm over the winter. I have been wanting elderberries off of it for some time. I think the deer and birds usually beat me to them. Will it live and grow back? Is there anything I might do to help it recover? I have a tame elderberry tree that I bought last year in another part of my yard. I have been babying it since I got it. It seems fine. The tame one is a Haschberg Elderberry.
If you make a clean cut and remove the broken limbs, then prune any unwanted growth when it starts to recover, your elderberry will likely be fine. IF you want to protect the fruit, you may want to net the tree. Hair balls will repel deer. Take the toe of an old pantyhose, stuff it with human hair, and hang it from the tree/bush. Several balls protect better than one. Deer do not like the scent of humans (go figure!) and will avoid anything that smells human. Birds, netting is the only thing I can think of and it will deter deer to a certain extent.
Thanks. Your mention of hair reminded me that I have a bedside commode in the shed for an extra toilet... Maybe emptying it around the bush/tree would also help. I think it discourages some animals away from my shed too. I will try both when it is fruiting. Will try the pruning too.
