Question: Everyone in my family takes elderberry syrup in the winter because there's evidence that it is antiviral and helps fight against the flu. We'd like to start growing our own elderberries and making our own syrup. Are there particular varieties we should grow? Answer: Elderberry (Sambucus spp.) plants have been used medicinally way back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Almost all parts of the plant have been used medicinally, including the bark, the flowers, the leaves and the berries. For elderberry syrup, however, the berries are what you want. I will say, however, that you should consult an expert herbalist with experience in creating herbal medicines before attempting to make your own syrup. Even if you don't use it medicinally, elderberries are lovely landscape plants. In the early summer, they produce clusters of creamy white flowers that, by autumn, develop into dark berries. If you turn them into elderberry jam, they're also high in antioxidants. There are several different species of elderberries that you can grow. Both European elderberries (Sambucus nigra) and the American elderberry (S. canadensis) are the best choices. Avoid red elderberry (S. racemosa) completely because the berries are poisonous both raw and cooked. The plants need to be several years old before they'll produce berries. And, most importantly, you'll want to grow at least two different varieties within a few dozen feet of each other to promote good fruit set. At maturity, they'll grow to a height of 15 to 20 feet give them plenty of room to grow. Full sun to partial shade is best. To maximize fruit set, prune off the oldest branches every three years. They'll eventually decline in productivity, plus you'll want to make room for new growth. Harvest the entire berry cluster. Since some types of elderberries are not edible when they are raw (and they may even be toxic), always cook elderberries before consuming them, either as food or medicine, just to be safe. I'll not offer any advice on how to make your own elderberry syrup, as I have no experience or expertise in the area of herbal medicines. There are no doubt many online sources of information on the task. However, I will strongly caution you against trusting a single one of them without confirming first that the author is a true expert in their field. For those who don't want to grow elderberries for eating or medicine, these plants still make incredible additions to the garden. In addition to the species listed above, there are several ornamental elderberries on the market which are grown primarily for their unique foliage, rather than for their berries. Chartreuse-leaved selections, like Lemon Lace, or pink-flowered and dark-leaved types, such as Black Lace, make beautiful landscape specimens. Horticulturist Jessica Walliser is the author of several gardening books, including "Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden,” "Good Bug, Bad Bug,” and her newest title, "Container Gardening Complete.” Her website is jessicawalliser.com. Send your gardening or landscaping questions to tribliving@tribweb.com or The Good Earth, 622 Cabin Hill Drive, Greensburg, PA 15601.