Sambucus, Black Elder, Bourtree, Elderberry, European Elder 'Black Beauty'

This shrub has grown successfully in my Pacific Northwest garden (in fact, so well I have to hard prune it to keep it from getting too la...Read Morerge for its location! I'm keeping it to about 5ft tall by about 4ft wide). I absolutely love this plant! Even before blooming, the deep purple foliage is very striking, but when it blooms, the delicate pale pink blooms are such a gorgeous contrast - they might not last long, but it's quite a show when it blooms! I'm moving soon, and hope to have the same success with this lovely shrub in my new home - I definitely plan to have more!

Planted late summer 2008 at 24" tall. It over-wintered great through one of the Portland area's more snowy and cold winters with temps ne...Read Morear the teens. Sprouted fine this spring 2009 with over 3' of stem growth before June 1st, and loaded with big flowers the last half of May with more opening into June. Foliage looks great, no pest problems. Planted on the south side of house in full exposure, 2" of mulch. 5' tall now, expecting 10' next year at this rate.

This shrub has never grown more than a foot tall for me and instead wants to spread out horizontally despite my attempts to get it to...Read More grow upwards. It has also never bloomed for me either.

I have had 2 Black Beauties since 2002. They grow very well in my zone 5 climate but they have yet to bloom. I think the first year I had...Read More one or two blooms on one and then the other but nothing since. I heard you were supposed to prune them after flowering but if they never flower then what. How do I get them to bloom.

Jane

I love this plant to death, but unfortunately so do the slugs! I wish for it to grow big and beautiful, but I can't get the slugs to go a...Read Moreway. I hope I can come up with something this year, I would hate to lose this beautiful plant!

I have seen great ones in nurseries but have been very unimpressed with it in my own yard. In full sun it still always remained green wi...Read Moreth spots of purple. I have some Black Lace and have liked them better so I removed my Black Beauty. I wouldn't recommend this plant but only for personal reasons. The flowers are pink but are around for maybe a week. All around its still just an elderberry to me. Black Lace is far more ornamental.