Sambucus nigra 'Eva'
Black Lace Elderberry
Plant Family:
Adoxaceae
Med - Lg Shrub (usually >3' and never < 1.5')
Flower:
Pink
Blooms :
Jun
to:
Jul
Tiny five-petal flowers in showy, flattened umbel-like cymes to 10? across; lemon-scented; hermaphrodite; pollinated by flies
Botanical Description
Fragrant?
Yes
Foliage:
Purple
Deciduous
Pat Kolling
Compound pinnate leaves with 3-7 ovate to elliptic short-stalked leaflets to 5 inches with sharply serrate margins; generally retains color throughout most of the growing season
Oregon Native?
No
West State Native?
No
Europe, northern Africa, southwestern Asia. Cultivar of European Elder developed in England in 10-year breeding program commenced in 1988. From the Horticulture Research International, East Malling, England; U.S. Plant Patent PP15,575 issued February 22, 2005. Native variety is Sambucus cerulea.
Site Selection
Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone:
4
Water Needs:
M
Sun Needs:
Full Sun
Deer Resistant?
No
Firewise?
Yes
Height:
6-8'
Spread:
6-8'
Growth Rate:
Medium
Native Habitat:
Parent species found in valleys, canyons, washes, slopes, seasonal drainages, and other areas where a little extra moisture is present. Sometimes found as part of wetland/riparian community, other times in more mesic portions of chaparral or woodland.
Soil:
Loamy, well-drained, moist but tolerates a wide range
Care Recommendations
Maintenance Level:
Medium
Fertilizer:
Actively producing mature plant: 1 cup ammonium sulfate per year; phosphorus and potassium based on soil test results
Mulch:
Apply 3 to 4 inches of an acidic mulch from the center of the plant out 4 feet
Long Term:
Remove 3-year-old and older canes or cut back to the ground to rejuvenate; remove all dead, damaged or diseased canes, tip back weak canes
Winter:
Prune in late winter to allow more light, improve branch structure and control size. branches and/or shoots at the base may be removed at any time.
Spring:
Prune suckers as they appear unless naturalizing is desired; remove weeds by hand
Summer:
Prune suckers as they appear unless naturalizing is desired; remove weeds by hand
Fall:
Prune suckers as they appear unless naturalizing is desired; remove weeds by hand; prune diseased, dead, damaged
Common Problems
Fruit can be messy and cause staining
Diseases:
Canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot
Insects:
Borers, spider mites, aphids, leaf-cutting bee, Emerging pest: spotted-wing drosophila
Also called: