Sambucus nigra 'Black Beauty' - European elder
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 this 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.
European elder is the father of a very new variety called “Black Beauty”, introduced in 2002 by the Dutch. It has the darkest leaves available – deep burgundy, and with its striking pink panicles of flowers it is undoubtedly the jewel in the group. Its vigorous growth helps this shrub soon make a dense cover of leaves that are vivid purple in the spring, deep burgundy throughout the summer, and bright crimson in the autumn. Tolerates any soil and location. Pruning in early spring will guarantee a more dense plant, and will also easily maintain the size and shape.
