Sambucus nigra Black Beauty® (Elderberry)

Noted for its dramatic foliage, award-winning Sambucus nigra Black Beauty® (Elderberry) is a large, upright, deciduous shrub or small tree adorned with a rich and lush, lacy foliage of deeply dissected, deep purple leaves from spring to fall. In early summer, a profusion of lemon-scented umbels packed with large, pinkish-purple flowers are on display. They contrast nicely with the dark leaves and give way to edible purple-black berries later in the season. Tough and adaptable, this is a stunning shrub for the back of mixed borders, hedges or screens.

• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Grows up to 8-15 ft. tall (240-450 cm) and 4-8 ft. wide (120-240 cm). Spreads freely by self-seeding and by root suckers to form colonies.
• Performs best in full sun or part shade, in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soils. Best foliage color when grown in full sun.
• Excellent choice as a single specimen plant, informal screens or hedges.
• May be subject to verticillium wilt and aphids. Deer resistant.
• Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter.
• Will tolerate hard pruning to restrict the size; can be maintained as a small shrub. Prune suckers unless naturalizing is desired. Regular pruning of the foliage of this cultivar will encourage growth of additional purple leaves.
• This plant has medium severity poison characteristics. All parts are toxic to humans.