Sambucus nigra 'LINEARIS' European elder
size/type
medium-sized shrub,medium-sized shrub
usual height
1-1,5m
usual width
1-1,5m
leaves
deciduous broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
less showy but noticeable
colour of flowers
blooming time
May-June
location
full to partial sun
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist (dislikes drought)
USDA zone (lowest)
4 (down to -34°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Aren’t the breeders krafty, I often say to myself. Take 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 in the world of SAMBUCUS, the world of colours, shapes and sizes that, with 10 different varieties, could well do for one complete garden.
Description of the plant:
Linearis is a beautiful but rare elder variety with exceptionally fine leaves. The foliage is so thin you wonder if it's the fairies and elves who come every night to cut them so delicately. In May open creamy white, fragrant flowers composed in flattened panicles. I have to admit that flowering is quite shy on this specialty, still, when you do get flowers you can expect edible berries in late summer, as on every European elder. It is not a vigorous grower and forms a shrub of about 1.5m tall and wide.Elder tolerates wide ranges of soil and will be happy of almost any location. Its size can easily be controlled by early spring pruning. You can cut back anything from 1/3 to 2/3 of previous year’s growth but after hard pruning it will flower less. Older plants benefit from removal of old branches in order to rejuvenate. Fully hardy to about -34°C (USDA zone 4). Not suitable for container growing.
Last update 21-01-2019
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