Black Lace elderberry

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; foliage develops its darkest colour in sun. Afternoon shade helps in hot climates.

Water

Moderate to high; keep the root zone evenly moist, especially during establishment and hot weather.

Soil

Moist, fertile, well-drained soil; tolerates clay and a broad pH range, but performs poorly in prolonged drought.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m)

Spread

6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m)

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; flat clusters of pale pink, lightly scented flowers.

Foliage

Deep purple-black, finely cut compound leaves; deciduous. Leaves can become greener in shade.

Growth

Fast

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   4 ft (1.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2.3 m)

5. After 5 years

   8 ft (2.4 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the US, Canada and the UK

Invasive in

Australia

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry spells, particularly for the first two growing seasons.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) layer of organic mulch in spring, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Top-dress with compost in spring; use a balanced fertiliser only if growth is weak.
• Remove unwanted suckers at their point of origin.
• For more reliable fruiting, grow another compatible Sambucus nigra cultivar nearby that flowers at the same time.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead wood and cut up to one-third of the oldest stems to ground level. For a smaller foliage shrub, cut all stems back to 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m), accepting fewer flowers and berries that season.

Late winter

Prune before growth begins, choosing either selective thinning or a hard cutback for foliage.

Spring

Plant while conditions are cool, water thoroughly and mulch the root zone.

Late spring

Check soft shoots for aphids and rub off small colonies or wash them away with water.

Summer

Water during dry weather and remove any plain green shoots at their base.

Late summer to autumn

Leave berries for birds, or harvest fully ripe clusters for careful preparation and cooking.

Autumn

Remove unwanted seedlings and suckers before they become established.

• Place at the back of a mixed border, where dark foliage provides contrast for pale flowers.
• Use as an informal screen with other moisture-loving shrubs, allowing room for its broad habit.
• Pair with chartreuse foliage or white-flowered perennials for strong colour contrast.
• Grow as a regularly cut-back foliage feature where a Japanese-maple-like leaf texture is wanted in a sunnier position.

Garden styles it suits: Modern, Cottage garden, Woodland, Wildlife garden, Native hedgerow and English country.

Plant it with: Japanese forest grass, Hosta, Astilbe, Oakleaf hydrangea, Hardy geranium and Lady's mantle.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen for visiting insects, and ripe berries feed birds. Dense branching offers shelter. Birds can carry the seeds into nearby gardens and natural areas.

• Aphids cluster on tender shoots: wash them off with water and avoid excessive nitrogen feeding.
• Powdery mildew can coat leaves in dry, crowded conditions: improve airflow and water the soil rather than the foliage.
• Leaf scorch and early leaf drop occur in heat or drought: water deeply, mulch and provide afternoon shade in hot regions.
• Plain green shoots can outgrow the dark foliage: remove them completely where they arise.

Potentially toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses. Leaves, stems, bark, roots and unripe berries contain cyanogenic compounds; substantial ingestion can cause serious poisoning. Raw ripe berries may also cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. For human food, use only correctly identified, fully ripe fruit, remove stalks and cook thoroughly; do not let pets or horses browse the plant.

Where it spreads. European elder is an environmental weed in parts of southeastern Australia, including Victoria and Tasmania. Birds spread its seed, so check local guidance before planting near bushland; the dark-leaved cultivar should not be assumed sterile.

• Black Beauty elder (Sambucus nigra 'Gerda')

  Also has dark foliage and pink flowers, but its leaflets are broad rather than deeply cut and lace-like.

• Cut-leaved elder (Sambucus nigra 'Laciniata')

  Has similarly dissected leaves, but they are green and the flowers are creamy white.

• Laceleaf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum Dissectum Group)

  Each maple leaf is a single, palmately lobed blade; elder leaves consist of separate leaflets arranged along a central stalk.

The species name nigra means black, referring to the ripe berries, while Black Lace describes this cultivar's dark, finely divided foliage.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or hardwood cuttings during dormancy. Seedlings do not reliably retain the finely cut, dark foliage. Check local plant breeders' rights or patent restrictions before propagating.

Accepted botanical name

Sambucus nigra

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada, the lower 48 states and Puerto Rico. Introduced in Canada, Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Albania, Austria, Azores, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Corse, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and East European Russia.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 450 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.