Black Beauty^® Elderberry Sambucus nigra

Overall, love the look of the plant but it’s not hardy to zone 4 at all. I’m in zone 5b and it probably does better in warmer zones but really struggles where I’m located. It’s very picky about water needs. Mines never provided dark foliage, never flowered, and always looked straggly. It looked like it was dying earlier this season so I cut it back… Then it started to recover … I was super happy but now that it’s cooling down and getting a lot of rain… it’s looking like it’s close to death again. Not really for zone 5b or less… based on my current experience with it… There’s no way it would ever become a large bush.

I absolutely love this plant! I think we are zone 8 so we fair better than some reviewers over winter. The blooms are incredible and the fruit more than edible. My leaves are mostly green but the Black Lace makes up for it with perfect dark foliage and colour and with deep pink flowers! I dream about this plant at night—and it looks amazing in a border with bamboo. enjoy!

I purchased 3 of these and none survived the first winter (zone 5a). What I found interesting is that the garden center where I purchased them said he had heard these had a tough time surviving in our zone and would get smaller and struggle each year, if they survived at all. I found that odd since they are hardy to zone 4. But it seems he was correct. I purchased them anyway because of how gorgeous they are and I wanted elderberries. They were big, healthy plants when I purchased them (#5 containers). I also purchased 5 black lace and only 3 barely survived the winter and I doubt will survive much longer. The same with the Laced Up. Anyway, none of them survived and it was a mild winter. I was so excited for these plants but they truly disappointed. I am a avid gardener (over 30 years) used to do professional landscaping and used to own a garden center but I could not grown these in my zone.

I love this plant. It was the focal point in a garden at the end of a walkway. It grew beautifully had it for about 8 years and suddenly last year it just died. I think borers got to it when cutting it down there were holes through the center of the brances. I am going to replant this beautiful plant. Mine looked like a small tree.