Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' 30-40 cm.

Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ is a dramatic, fast-growing deciduous elder valued for its finely cut, deep purple-black foliage and broad, flattened clusters of soft pink flowers in early summer, followed by black berries. Best leaf colour develops in full sun, though it copes well with light shade. Grow in a moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil; fully hardy and excellent as a focal shrub or in mixed borders in Irish gardens.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun or light shade

Rate of Growth: Fast

Soil: Moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil

Hardiness: Fully hardy

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Plant at a Glance