The Field Guideby Moss & MarrowThe Field Guideby Moss & Marrow
Also called vlier, vlierbloesems.
In the Netherlands, elderflower is in season May to June, at its best in June. November is outside the Dutch season for elderflower.
Elder blooms in late May and June along ditches, hedges and the edges of every Dutch wood. Pick heads that are fully open on a dry, sunny morning, from several bushes rather than stripping one. In the Netherlands you may pick small amounts for your own use in most forests and along most paths, about a punnet's worth, and never dig up roots or bulbs. Nature reserves, dune areas and many Natuurmonumenten and Staatsbosbeheer sites forbid it, and the sign at the entrance is the rule that counts. Commercial picking is forbidden everywhere.
Creamy, fully open flower heads that smell sweet, not of cat. Leave the browning ones.
Steep twenty heads in sugar syrup with lemon for cordial, or dip the heads in batter and fry.
Only the flowers; leaves and stems are mildly toxic and get shaken out. The same bushes give elderberries in September.
Elderflower is picked, not bought. The Field Guide lists producers, so it has no entries for a wild food; the page is here so the season and the rules are in one place. Elsewhere on the site, the map shows the farms and shops near you.
Dates read on 2026-10-12. If a window on this page is wrong, tell us with a source.
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