Elderflower season 2026 — the elder awakens
Yesterday I walked through the forest to follow the development of wild elder. The forest air was fresh and clear — here and there I caught the scent of wild cherry beginning to blossom on the sunnier spots along the path. The elder itself is still in its early phase: the vegetative buds are opening, forming young leaves and new shoots. The generative buds — which will later produce the flower clusters — are still closed.
When exactly the elder will flower is hard to predict. It depends on temperature, sunshine and rainfall. In the forest, flowering usually begins around mid-May. In extreme years it can be early or late May. In cities, elder blooms considerably earlier — the higher air and soil temperatures accelerate the process. But the elder growing in cities as ornamental shrubs or trees is not what we harvest.
Vegetative and generative buds
The vegetative buds form leaves and new shoots — they build the structure of the plant. The generative buds will later produce the flower primordia that develop into the characteristic white umbel flower clusters. This is the sequence nature dictates, and one we follow anew each year.
Why elderflower is so special
Black elder grows everywhere in Croatia: along forest edges, by waterways, on abandoned fields. The plant loves water — along streams and rivers you often find entire colonies of elder bushes. Plants growing at higher, cooler locations — such as in Zagorje and Gorski Kotar — produce flowers with a more intense, complex fragrance than those in the lowlands. Elder usually grows as a shrub, but can also form a proper tree with a trunk up to 50 centimetres in diameter. The bark is then deeply furrowed and characteristically cracked.
Toponyms as a guide to elder
A fascinating way to find elder locations is through topographic maps. In Croatia and Slovenia, place names such as Bezgova Draga (a valley in the Lika-Senj region) and Bezgova Greda are direct indicators that elder has grown there since time immemorial. Bezeg is the dialectal Slavic name for elder in those regions — with its own independent etymology. Anyone who can read a map can already predict where the best picking spots are.
From flower to syrup — our production process
Our elderflower syrup is made through a traditional maceration process. The fresh flowers are immersed directly after harvest in a solution of water, sugar and citric acid — not in water alone. The sugar and citric acid increase the osmotic potential of the liquid, allowing the aromatic compounds from the flowers to be extracted more completely and efficiently. Industrial producers often use water extracts or artificial flavourings — we do not.
When does the harvest begin?
We don't know yet — nature decides, not the calendar. In the forest we expect the first flowers around mid-May, but a late frost or a warm spell can shift that. In the coming weeks we will follow the development closely and post regular updates.
Organically certified, from origin to bottle
All our wild plants are harvested in areas free from pesticides and artificial fertilisers. The elder bushes we use grow in forests and meadows that have not been chemically treated for generations. Our products are certified organic — not because it is a marketing term, but because it is the only way we want to work.
Until the next update — and until the season begins.