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photo of Ken Tobutt

Meet the Breeder

Ken Tobutt
Kent, England

BLACK LACE®

Elderberry

Sambucus nigra

'Eva'

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Black Lace Sambucus blooming in garden bed next to rock border Close up of white and pink Black Lace Sambucus bloom with black foliage Black Lace Sambucus dark foliage in a flower bed Close up of pink Black Lace Sambucus blooms Black Lace elderberry blooming next to iron rod fence in landscape Close up of dark burgundy Black Lace Sambucus berries YouTube video describing the plant shown on this page
  • Unique foliage
  • Fragrant flowers
  • Award winner
Description

With Black Lace® elderberry, you get the deep color and fine texture of a Japanese Maple but on a much hardier and more durable plant. This elderberry boasts finely dissected purple-black foliage, and in early summer, wide, lacey pink flowers will pop against the dark foliage. When planted near another cultivar of Sambucus nigra, the pink flowers will turn into edible black berries. This large shrub is a great choice for a specimen, but it can also be used in groupings and borders. Black Lace® elderberry has enormous appeal at retail and in the landscape, and it’s super tough, tolerating black walnut, deer, and drought. 

Awards
ANLA #1 New Variety for 2006; Silver Medal, Royal Boskoop Horticulture Society; 2012 Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit
USDA Zone
4 - 7 (-30°F/-34.4°C)
Exposure
Full sun, Part sun
Height
6 - 10'
Width
6 - 10'
Finish Time
.5 season
Type
Deciduous
Bloom Time
Early summer
Flower Color
Pink
Foliage Color
Black
Liner Sizes
2 1/4", 4", Quick Turn

Soil

Extremely adaptable to soil pH and moisture levels.

Pruning

Blooms on old wood. However, pruning after bloom will remove the potential for fruit to set.

Uses

Grow either as a shrub or cut it back every year and make it into a bold perennial. Outstanding as a specimen, but also good in groupings and masses, perennial and shrub borders, as a specimen or screen.

Growing Tips

If fruit is desired, plant with Black Beauty, Instant Karma, or Laced Up elderberry. Both flowers and ripe berries are edible; however, foliage and stems are toxic.

  • Benchcard: Black Lace® Sambucus Benchcard
  • Tag: Black Lace® Sambucus Tag
  • Grower Sheet: Black Lace® Sambucus Grower Sheet
  • Spec Sheet: Black Lace® Sambucus Spec Sheet
  • Article: Guide to Elderberries

    • Features: Edible, Deer resistant, Foliage interest, Drought tolerant, Alkaline soil, Award winner, Clay soil, Attracts pollinators

    Filters: Botanical genus: Sambucus, Common name: Elderberry, Retail program: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, Exposure: Full sun, Exposure: Part sun, Bloom time: Summer, Pink flowers, Black foliage

    Features: Edible, Deer resistant, Foliage interest, Drought tolerant, Alkaline soil, Award winner, Clay soil, Attracts pollinators

    Filters: Botanical genus: Sambucus, Common name: Elderberry, Retail program: Proven Winners® ColorChoice®, USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, Exposure: Full sun, Exposure: Part sun, Bloom time: Summer, Pink flowers, Black foliage