Sambucus, Black Elder, Bourtree, Elderberry, European Elder 'Eva'
Sambucus nigra
Family: | Adoxaceae (a-dox-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Sambucus (sam-BYOO-kus) (Info) |
Species: | nigra (NY-gruh) (Info) |
Cultivar: | Eva |
Additional cultivar information: | (PP15575, aka Black Lace™) |
Hybridized | by Tobutt |
Registered or introduced: | 2005 |
Category:
Shrubs
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Deciduous
Foliage Color:
Dark/Black
Height:
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)
Spacing:
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
Where to Grow:
Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color:
Pale Pink
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Flowers are fragrant
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Summer
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Patented
Propagation Methods:
From softwood cuttings
From hardwood cuttings
Seed Collecting:
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Juneau, Alaska
Grand Forks, British Columbia
Fairfield, California
Forest Falls, California
Petaluma, California
San Anselmo, California
Santa Clara, California
Sebastopol, California
Denver, Colorado
Englewood, Colorado
Timnath, Colorado
Windsor, Colorado
Oxford, Connecticut
Lewes, Delaware
Cordele, Georgia
Boise, Idaho
Chicago, Illinois
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Hanna City, Illinois
Maroa, Illinois
Park Ridge, Illinois
Pontiac, Illinois
Washington, Illinois
Waukegan, Illinois
Hobart, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Martinsville, Indiana
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Wichita, Kansas
Baltimore, Maryland
Fallston, Maryland
Millersville, Maryland
Beverly, Massachusetts
Dracut, Massachusetts
Lanse, Michigan
Rockford, Michigan
Sterling Heights, Michigan
International Falls, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Grandview, Missouri
Missoula, Montana
Reno, Nevada
Bedford, New Hampshire
Deer Park, New York
Himrod, New York
Northport, New York
Bucyrus, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Edmond, Oklahoma
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Grants Pass, Oregon
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Houston, Pennsylvania
Pittston, Pennsylvania
Knoxville, Tennessee(2 reports)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Friendswood, Texas
Kaysville, Utah
Brattleboro, Vermont
South Burlington, Vermont
Evington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Barberton, Washington
DuPont, Washington
East Port Orchard, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Parkwood, Washington
Port Angeles, Washington
Port Orchard, Washington
Port Townsend, Washington(2 reports)
Puyallup, Washington
Salmon Creek, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Petersburg, West Virginia
Franklin, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Neenah, Wisconsin
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Neutral | On Sep 12, 2017, su_rose from Northport, NY wrote: Positive: almost black, very lacy foliage. |
Negative | On Apr 26, 2017, Holeinthehead from Hobart, IN wrote: Love this plant but sadly lost it after 2years (5ft tall 😩) to some kind of tiny worm that I assume is a borer. There is some new growth at the base, hoping it will get better after spraying with Malithion ? |
Neutral | On Jun 20, 2014, grdnut2 from Maroa, IL wrote: I was torn between neutral and negative rating but this plant is too pretty to post a negative. |
Positive | On May 19, 2014, LanfrancoLeo from Harrisburg, PA wrote: This is one of the most beautiful shrub that I have ever either seen and had. I have the BLACK LACE variety which foliage is really really dark, extremely fringed, really beautiful, I whish I bought more than one when I ordered!!! I bought a little plant from forest farm this April, it adapted perfectly well to the new location (remember to give enough sun if you want a nice dark foliage) and it even bloom the first year that I planted (see picture). From what I heard it grow very fast too. The combination of with-pale rose flower contrasting against the dark foliage is simply beautiful. Other two additional quality make this plant far better than a japanese maple: |
Negative | On May 30, 2012, ajretired from Shorewood, WI wrote: Just great for the first two years. Then 2 days ago, the top branches wilted. I pruned and saw t hat the stem was hollow and gushed black sludge. I kept pruning and every stem was the same. It's now a stump--I'll wait to see what happens. |
Positive | On May 27, 2012, frugal from Spring, TX wrote: Absolutely love mine! After the first year it really took off and bloomed all summer long. |
Positive | On Apr 25, 2012, miatog from Hants County, My plant is getting very tall - can I prune back the leader and if so, before or after blooming? Thanks. |
Positive | On Sep 19, 2011, thevioletfern from Clayton, NY (Zone 4b) wrote: This shrub is one of my favorites and has often fooled visitors to my garden into thinking that it is a Japanese Maple. In zone 4, it is an excellent alternative to the Japanese Maple. It has tripled in size in three years. Wonderful lace-cap like flowers in spring, wonderful foliage that holds all summer long, and berries come fall. |
Positive | On Jun 13, 2011, jrkengr from Vancouver, WA wrote: Vancouver, Washington |
Negative | On Feb 12, 2011, hortulaninobili from St. Louis, MO (Zone 6a) wrote: Aesthetically speaking, this plant has it all: wonderful burgundy foliage, nice clear-pink flowers, refined texture, and manageable growth habit. Concerns of practicality, I am not impressed with disease/insect-tolerance/resistance and lack of robustness. |
Positive | On May 26, 2010, two2lips from Park Ridge, IL wrote: Bought this plant at the end of the season and it was in rough shape. It over-wintered beautifully and has grown into a great plant--and the white blooms against the dark foliage is stunning. |
Positive | On Apr 5, 2010, maryap from Timnath, CO wrote: This is a gorgeous plant! I planted mine last spring 2009 in Northern Colorado. I bought a fairly large plant from my local nursery ($40). It did really well and has such delicate leaves and I also got several beautiful clusters of pink flowers in its first year in my garden. I believe that is due to my purchasing a larger plant. I'm going to buy one for my daughter's garden this spring. |
Positive | On Aug 20, 2009, mishal218 from International Falls, MN wrote: I purchased this very lovely shrub in 2007. Even though it was a zone 4 plant and I live in zone 3, I wanted to try it anyways as it is so pretty. I planted it next to the foundation on the east side of my home and it grew nicely over the summer. In the fall I covered it with an old rug and a styro cone and it wintered very well. It had moderate growth summer of 2008 but only had a couple of flower heads. Due to a very busy fall last year, my shrub did not get covered at all. We had an extremely cold winter with more than a few days of -40 degrees. It did survive though! It did not have any new growth on any previous branches, but growth came from the roots and it grew to a 6 or 7 foot height. But it did not flower at all. Can anyone tell me how to get it to flower? |
Positive | On May 25, 2009, joegee from Bucyrus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote: In spring of 2008 I bought two of these as replacements (sold locally as Black Lace) for horrible red Japanese barberries. These two elders are of the same color family, but they have a much more pleasant disposition than barberries. I'm hopeful the birds are equally fond of the berries. |
Positive | On May 27, 2008, Forensicmom from Millersville, MD wrote: This is the 2nd year for my 'Black Lace' and I'm amazed at how much better lookking it is from last year. Last year it stayed kind of small (maybe 3-4') and didn't bloom AT ALL. This year, It's growing (5-6') and has a bunch of beautiful light pink flowers. They're a gorgeous contrast to the black-purple clored leaves. |
Positive | On Jun 15, 2007, meliana from Baltimore, MD wrote: This is my favorite plant in my whole garden. My sister gave it to me last May as a 2-quart plant. We had a very dry, hot summer and the plant did nothing at all, so I neglected it (I sometimes get mad at my plants, I know, this is is nutty) and thought it might just die last winter. But what a surprise this spring--it exploded in growth, and it is 4 feet tall and growing. The flower "discs" are supernaturally beautiful. The dark purple leaves emerge lime green, and not one leaf has browned, wilted, or been eaten (yet). This would be also beautiful in groups or a line (for screening or a very loose hedge). |
Positive | On Mar 14, 2007, braun06 from Peoria Heights, IL (Zone 5b) wrote: I like this plant more than I thought I would. It has a great character that is different from plant to plant. It does retain a black color here in our summers and grows quite fast. Its a trouble free beautiful plant I think its uses are endless for those looking for something different. I don't like norway maples for various reasons. I don't like red norways because the size of the plant size and leaf make it stand out too much and draw too much attention from everything else in a landscape. Black Lace is very versatile and offers something different in the landscape but does so conservatively. I dont doubt this plant will wind up in overuse at some point though because of its character and carefree culture. If you are deciding between this plant and Black Beauty, Black Beauty... read more |
Positive | On Nov 8, 2006, MBlakeslee from Sterling Heights, MI wrote: Bought on a whim because I liked its Japanese Maple Qualities (Fine Leaves). Does great and as expected in the Full Sun. In Part Shade the leaves get wider and rust a bit, but still a nice plant for dark foliage. |
Positive | On Oct 6, 2006, rcn48 from Lexington, VA (Zone 6a) wrote: First year in our gardens and although it didn't bloom for us this year, the black foliage is gorgeous. Planted in full sun it has retained its color throughout the heat and humidity of our summers, unlike S. 'Black Beauty' which always loses its black foliage by mid summer. Advertised as a "Plant for Passionate Gardeners" or as an alternative for northern gardeners where hardiness is questionable for Japanese Maples. |
Positive | On Jul 8, 2003, stevenova from Newcastle, This plant may come under the alternative variety name (or clone name) of 'Eva' outside the UK. |