Elderberry

Had this identified as an elderberry. It sprouted up after removing the blackberries and it is already about 7 feet tall. It's not really in a spot where I would have planted it, but since it's already there, and lived through being buried by blackberries for 15 years, I feel I should honor it and leave it be. I'm wondering if I can strip the bottom leaves off so it becomes more tree-like and let some air in underneath. Anyone have Oregon elderberry experience? I'm guessing it's a red elderberry, but I don't know what is common here.

And please ignore what looks like trash all over around it. We also discovered a collapsed cabin under the blackberries and are in the process of clearing all the debris. I'm thinking of turning the bathtub into a planter for lettuce.

Red elderberry is a native plant and will potentially get fairly tall. I think you could definitely try to shape it into a small tree if you will be happy with it in that location. Once you have one, you will be likely to have more, as they do seed themselves around with the help of the birds.

Today I went ahead and cut off all the lower branches. If it gets taller that would be great as it is surrounded by alders and I want to keep the dell as open as possible. Thanks for the reply mauryhill! Another has shown up in another part of the property as you said it might.

Is it multi-trunked?

For no apparent reason, my husband tends to bulldoze these down willy-nilly with his tractor, or sometimes cuts them down intentionally. They always come back, so I think of them as pretty bullet-proof. I've given up asking what he has against them, they are a nice small tree with flowers and berries, form a good screen between us and the neighbors, the birds love them. Mine tend to be multi-trunked as Willow asked, and grow similar to a vine maple, hugging a larger tree.

The panicles are white & fragrant? There are several here on the property; they seem pretty & polite.

Yes, it is multi-trunked and it looks like it's been cut down before, the bottom is huge.

bonehead, that sounds like my neighbor's opinion of aspens. There are several at the bottom of our property and they are quite pretty. He refers to them as weeds.

I have a fairly large stand of aspens as well, and love them in the wind, although their suckering little saplings tend to pop up miles from the primary stand and can be a nuisance.