Elder: Cut, Plant, Honour
Elder doesn’t die easy. Cut it right, and it will root and rise again, strong as ever. A tree of both death and rebirth, sacred to the old ways, and stubborn as the land itself.
If you take elder, give elder back. A simple act, cut at a node, place the bottom in damp earth or water, and watch it take hold. Every little bump, every knotted place, holds the will to live. A tree that thrives on edges and forgotten places, just waiting to return.
So take your cuttings and plant them where the land needs them. Roadside, riverside, wasteland, elder asks for nothing but space to grow. A quiet act of defiance, a gift to the wild.
Plant elder, and the land will remember.
How to Plant Elder Cuttings in the Wild
Find a healthy elder tree and cut a branch at a node (where a leaf or side shoot grows).
Choose a cutting about pencil-thick and a foot long, with a node near the top where new growth will sprout.
Trim off excess leaves but leave the top bud if possible.
Push the bottom end straight into soft, damp earth, burying at least two nodes underground.
If the ground is tough, use a stick or knife to make a hole before planting.
Firm the soil around it, making sure it's secure and upright.
Plant several, some will take, some won’t, but elder is stubborn.
Walk away, knowing you’ve set life back into the land.
Plant elder, and the land will remember.
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