How do you tell if a young Elderberry plant will grow into a bush or a tree?

Purchased on internet, but can't remember from who. Started as single shoot, and has multiplied to nine. About 24 inches tall now.

How do you tell if a young Elderberry plant will grow into a bush or a tree?
Elderberrys make a clump and they only get probably 6 to 8 foot tall. You will have a small grove of them. I love to smell them when they bloom and my mother use to make jelly from the berries. Mixed them half and half with blackberries.
Reply:Elderberry plants are shrubs, I don't think they could be trained into a tree. The fruits are good for wine making, pies and jelly. I think they could probably make a good juice. I also think the fruits would be a good source of Vitamin C. I like the plants because the birds love the fruit, and I am all for helping the birds out. The plants are also showy in the early summer because of the white flowers. I think they could be a pest in the yard because they are going to send out lots of suckers to form a clump of plants. But this can be controlled by mowing around them to keep the new shoots down.