Sambucus nigra 'Eva' BLACK LACE® European elder, elderberry
size/type
medium-sized shrub,taller shrub
usual height
2-3m
usual width
1,5-2,5m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
May-June
location
full to partial sun
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
dry or damp, but with good drainage
USDA zone (lowest)
4 (down to -34°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Sambucus
Aren’t the breeders crafty, I often say to myself. Take the European elder, for instance. This omnipresent shrub grows anywhere, without any maintenance, and the more you prune it, the thicker it gets. Well, what a promising start for cultivation, someone said. And here we are! So, forget about the common weed of our countryside and dive into the world of SAMBUCUS, a world of colours, shapes, and sizes that, given 10 different varieties, could well suffice for one complete garden.BLACK LACE elderberry was developed by Kenneth Richard Tobutt from the East Malling Research Station in the southeast of England. Since 1988, he has conducted three generations of crossbreeding, resulting in a reliable and unique variety with dark, delicate leaves and attractive flowers after 10 years of meticulous work. Its pedigree includes varieties like Laciniana, Guincho Purple, Aurea, and several other unnamed seedlings. It is protected by plant patents No. 13676 (EU – 2004) and PP15575 (USA – 2003).
Description of the plant:
BLACK LACE elderberry blooms from May to June with abundant, almost flat panicles composed of tiny, fragrant, five-petaled flowers. They are pale pink to white and open from smoky purple buds, which intensifies the flowering colour. It blooms profusely. By the end of summer, it produces a large number of edible fruits, dark purple to black in color, which are used for juices, squashes or jams.In elders with colored foliage, it’s more often the leaves that make the plant desirable because they offer attractive texture and striking color. BLACK LACE has pinnate, deeply lobed leaves, dark burgundy to nearly black, and glossy. They are deciduous and plentiful, perfectly filling the entire shrub. Over the long period on the market, we have noticed two visibly different clones sold under the same name – one has distinctly thinner and highly glossy leaves, and the other has also lobed leaves, but the individual leaflets are wider and much less glossy, almost matte.
It grows fast and relatively upright to a height of about 3 meters and slightly smaller width. For denser branching, you can prune it back by half several times in spring when young, if you have only upright canes but little mass in the lower parts. Due to the deeply lobed leaves, it retains delicacy and airiness, making it look great integrated among large-leaved or otherwise massive shrubs, which it softens with its texture and offers a welcome contrast with its colour. It is great for informal, deciduous hedges composed of shrubs with coloured foliage. Its branches are brittle, rough to the touch, and fragrant like the whole shrub.
Elder tolerates a wide range of soil types and will be happy in almost any location except for waterlogged areas. Its size can easily be controlled by early spring pruning. You can cut back anything from 1/3 to 2/3 of the previous year’s growth, but after hard pruning it will flower less. Older plants benefit from the removal of old branches in order to rejuvenate. It thrives in full sun but blooms profusely in partial shade as well. Fully hardy to about -34°C (USDA zone 4); however, it is not suitable for long-term container growing.
Last update 26-01-2025
WANT TO TRY A SIMILAR PLANT?
Goods are shipped all over Europe. For Russia and U.K. and for further details please read about SHIPPING OPTIONS HERE.
Are you interested in a serious discount for orders NOV-FEB? Check your options here.
THE PRICES INCLUDE VAT of 15%. For quick conversion you can use 1 CZK = approx. 0.04 EUR
GLOSSARY
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
