Elderberry branch ends broken and left hanging

Question

I have two 6 foot wild elderberry trees in our yard and I just noticed that at least 25 of the branch tips were broken off with the tip left hanging. These are high enough up so it isn’t deer, and pretty evenly distributed throughout the trees. The broken off part is anywhere from 3” to 18” long. Are there any pests who do something like this to elderberries or is it most likely due to recent storms? I’m in northwest Louisiana.

Answer 1

I would assume that it is storm damage. I had damage to my plants as well, but it didn't get anywhere CLOSE to as bad as your area.

It won't harm your plants. They got "pruned", essentially. They will recover, and grow back bushier because of it.