Elderflower is the blossoming part of the elderberry bush. The flowers are what eventually become the tiny berries that are used as food, juice, syrup, immune support, and supplements for humans.
Primarily, elderberry is known as an antiviral and a respiratory support. The berries themselves are not typically considered safe for use in rabbits, but the flowers are.
Elderflower is one of the lesser-known herbs that can be used as a supporting supplement or as a home treatment for rabbit ailments. It offers many of the same benefits as it does for humans and is used for similar support and ailments.
Jump to:
- Informed Caution with Herbs and Foraged Feeds for Rabbits
- Confusion Over the Safety of Elderflower for Meat Rabbits
- What Part of the Elderberry Plant to Use
- What to Use Elderflower for Meat Rabbit Ailments
- VIDEO: The Benefits of Elderflower for Meat Rabbits
- How to Give or Administer Elderflower to Meat Rabbits
- Finding Elderflower for Meat Rabbits
- Harvesting Elderflower for Future Treatment or Supplementation for Meat Rabbits
Informed Caution with Herbs and Foraged Feeds for Rabbits
Rabbits, in general, do not benefit from as much research and attention as other types of livestock or even pets. Therefore, the available body of information about what herbs and foraged feeds are safe is limited. It comes primarily from knowledgeable rabbit raisers, with a smattering of information across reputable sources.
Rabbit breeders are a good source of information sharing, having the most experience with the animal, but it must be said that there is a potential for risk, especially if natural treatments like elderflower are used against common recommendations and not as intended.
As a precaution, it must be stated that this information is offered as information only and at your own risk.
Keep in mind that with all natural supplements, treats, or treatments for meat rabbits, we always need to use caution with new feeds so as not to upset the rabbit’s digestive tract. It is also worth pointing out that many of the veterinary pharmaceuticals that are commonly used are also “off label” for rabbits (again, because the time and research don’t go into them for rabbits).
Also, new regulations in countries like the U.S. have restricted access to antibiotics, drugs, and treatments that used to be available over the counter through farm stores. This means that home treatments take on an even greater importance.
Oftentimes, your quick action with a home treatment is worth the risk over not being able to access veterinary care or supplies in time. And, there is the cost-benefit analysis to consider when considering costly veterinary care for meat rabbits.
In the end, knowing more about possible herbal and nutraceutical food support is worth your while. But it must be said that this site cannot be held responsible for outcomes with your rabbits. We are not veterinarians.
Confusion Over the Safety of Elderflower for Meat Rabbits
There does seem to be some confusion as to whether elderflower is safe for rabbits to eat. This seems to be along the lines of the typical confusion over elderberry toxicity. Which, even for human consumption, is often overstated, or referring to parts of the plant that you are not using anyway.
From the available information, the roots, leaves, stalks, and stems of elderberry are not likely to be safe for rabbits to eat. Often, people group all of these parts of the plant together out of an abundance of caution in an effort to prevent liability or misstatement.
For the purposes of this guide, we are talking only about feeding elderflower: the blossoms or flowers of the elderberry bush. Specifically, you should feed only the flowers themselves, with as few stem bits as possible.
Understand, though, that it is nearly impossible to prepare elderflowers without getting at least some tiny stems in the mix -- even when preparing it for human consumption. A few tiny rogue stems in dried elderflowers is not likely to be enough to cause harm.
The warnings are more likely trying to dissuade people from feeding full flower umbels on the complete stems, or to warn people against feeding the woody stalks of the plant. This seems to be what the body of information is really trying to get at.
All of this said, there is always that potential for a plant or herb to cause issues for your meat rabbits. There is always the potential for an abrupt change of feed or a large amount of a new plant or supplementation to upset the gastrointestinal tract. So any new feed or supplement should be introduced in small amounts.
What Part of the Elderberry Plant to Use
The safe part of the elderberry plant that can be fed or used beneficially for meat rabbits is the flower.
The roots, stems, stalks, and leaves of the plant should not be used, as they are considered toxic.
The flowers grow in a collection on large flower heads called umbels. Each flower is a single attachment at the end of a tiny terminal stem.
The flowers should be removed from the stems, either before or after drying, and only the flower part should be used. The flowers are easy to tease off the ends of the stems.
What to Use Elderflower for Meat Rabbit Ailments
Elderflower contains many of the same beneficial properties that the elderberry does for humans (though there is not a resource I’ve found that advises feeding elderberries to rabbits).
In a well-researched and compiled list on the RabbitTalk Forum, one user* says that elderflower is “beneficial in the cure of almost all common ailments in animals.”
Some conditions for which elderflower is recommended in the literature include:
- Reducing fevers
- Cooling rabbits
- As a respiratory support and expectorant
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- As an anti-inflammatory
- As immune support
- As an antiviral
It seems logical that elderflower would hold these benefits for meat rabbits. Elderflower is a known “nutraceutical” (food with beneficial pharmaceutical properties). It is known as anti-inflammatory and antiviral when consumed by humans (commonly in teas and tinctures).
While elderberries are considered “toxic” if not cooked or fermented, the flowers are not.
*This user also says that the leaves of the plant, dried and powdered, make a good insecticide. Since the leaves are not considered safe for ingestion, this may come with some risk.
VIDEO: The Benefits of Elderflower for Meat Rabbits
How to Give or Administer Elderflower to Meat Rabbits
There is no clear “dosage” provided for elderflower for meat rabbits. Some growers say they use it regularly, especially during the blossoming season, as a or near daily food. Others use it only when they need to treat a suspected ailment.
While it is difficult to estimate a true amount to feed, feed only a small amount of flowers. Likely this is less than a tablespoon, or a small sprinkling.
Most people appear to be feeding elderflower over the top of food or in a small dish as a health-supporting treat.
For human consumption, elderflower is often drunk as a tea. It’s delicious! Soaking the flowers -- fresh or dried -- in warm water and syringing or offering it in a dish to drink may be a good way to administer the flowers to your rabbits, especially if they are refusing food.
Those who do use elderflower say that it is a treat their rabbits enjoy and eat readily. A rabbit that is ill may be more reluctant, though.
Finding Elderflower for Meat Rabbits
Elderflower grows all over North America and in Europe, too. There are different varieties, but the flowers of all of them are usable and beneficial.
Because it is a popular tea and nutraceutical ingredient, elderflower can also be purchased.
The following is some information on buying, foraging, and growing elderflower for meat rabbits.
Purchasing
Elderflower is almost always sold as a dried product. The products, much like the berries, do not hold up well as a fresh product for very long after they are picked (not even with refrigeration).
Dried elderflower is easy to buy online. You can buy it directly from reputable growers, or you can buy dried elderflower from online herbal cooperatives and sellers on many sites, such as Amazon.
The dried product will be ready to use as-is, straight from the package.
Foraging
Chances are that you may have elderberry growing near you, and you can forage elderflowers from the bushes when they are in bloom.
You will almost certainly want to dry some of the flowers for future use. Elderberry has a relatively short flowering window, but it is a good herb to have on hand all year long.
Here is a great article on spotting and finding elderflowers to forage: Finding Elderflowers in Bloom
Growing
Elderberry is very easy to root and grow from cuttings. You can do this without damaging the plant. If you plan to add elderberry flowers to your forage first aid kit or as a supplement to feed, it would be worth growing a plant or two (or a field of them).
When you are out gathering your flowers, take a few cuttings from the woody stems and root them in moist soil. (Or you can go back later -- dormant cuttings root very well in the late winter and early spring)
The cuttings need to have two to three sets of leaf nodes. Strip the lower leaves and sink the lowest set of nodes into the ground or soil. Roots will grow from there. Rooting hormone is not necessary, but it is helpful. The biggest key to successful rooted cuttings is keeping them watered!
Always keep the soil moist. You can root directly in the ground or in a deep plant tray or pot, and then transplant after the cuttings are well rooted.
You can also dig some of the rooted side shoots and transplant those into the ground.
Harvesting Elderflower for Future Treatment or Supplementation for Meat Rabbits
You can pick elderflower any time it is in bloom. The blossoming period for elderflower is late spring or early summer, depending on where you live.
It is best to harvest in the early part of the day after the dew is off the flowers, but any time of day will be okay.
You can harvest up to 15 to 25% of the flowers on a bush without negatively impacting berry production (less demands on the plant actually boost berry size and yield).
Most elderberry bushes have some tendency towards an indeterminate nature, so even though you might miss the big bloom period, you may see some later flower heads. These are certainly worth taking and will help the plant that is mostly in berry production mode.
Preserving elderflowers for future use
Elderflowers are easy to dry, and you need no special equipment to do it. Even if you have a dehydrator, they dry so quickly and easily in the air that air drying is usually the best way to dry elderflowers.
To preserve elderflowers to use year-round:
- Cut the whole umbel as one head, snapping or cutting at the first main flower stem
- Place the flower heads on a stretch of window screen
- The screen needs to be fine, as the dried flowers will be small, and anything else will drop the flowers through
- Let the flowers dry in a warm room (or car dashboard), preferably out of direct sunlight
- When the flowers are dry and crispy, tease them off the stems and save just the flowers
- A few of the tiny terminal stems will surely get into the flower mix; ignore these -- they are not enough to make a difference, and truthfully, all dried elderflower, including commercially purchased, will contain some of these tiny stems
- Transfer dried elderflowers into a sealed bag or an airtight jar and store in a cool, dark place
- It is best to use the dried flowers within a year
Elderflowers are one of the easiest things to forage and to dry. Then you’ll have some on hand for any time you need it. While you can use the flowers fresh (removed from the stems), you will only have a limited amount of time each year to gather them fresh. Odds are your rabbits won’t need it when it’s on offer from Mother Nature!
Read on:
For resources and more information regarding elderflower as a supplement for meat rabbits, check out these sources:
- https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/06/09/medicinal-herbs-for-rabbits/
- https://rabbittalk.com/threads/effects-of-herbs-for-rabbits.14508/
- https://rabbittalk.com/threads/tree-cuttings.455/
- https://www.centralvichay.com/blogs/hay-carters-corner/can-rabbits-eat-elderflower
- https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sambucus+nigra
- https://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/02/26/safe-food-list-for-rabbits/
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