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Looking to add some wow to your garden? Black Lace Elder is unlike any other plant you can put in your garden.

So beautiful and so unique, Black Lace Elder was named the "Best New Plant" of 2006 at the NMPro ANLA New Plant Pavilion.

Finely cut, dark purple foliage that looks great all season long. While most plant bloom for 3-4 weeks the foliage adds color, interesting  texture and wow appeal regardless of flowers.

Sambucus nigra 'Eva' pp15,575

 

In June, when it does flower, you won't believe how attractive the big pink blooms jump against the back drop of dark purple foliage.    Massive 10",  pink flowers cover the plant in midsummer and emit a light lemon fragrance. What a contrast! This is  perhaps the coolest new plant ever developed. It looks more like an exotic Japanese maple or a rare Cimicifuga  than an easy growing elderberry. These uses for this plant are endless. grow it as a shrub, as a bold perennial or train it into a small tree. It's colorful, versatile and easy to grow.

National Release in 2007! For those people who must have the plant early we are offing a limited number of plants by mail order. See the links below.

What people are saying ...

Wow what a shrub! It is beautiful and unusual. I always look for plants that are different and I came across this Black Lace at a local garden center. I fell in love with it and had to have it. The garden center only had 6 of them and they sold out fast. I planted it this spring and it has grown twice, almost three times the size. I get tons of compliments on it and everyone in my neighborhood wants one. I love the deep purple/black leaves and I cannot wait till it flowers. Thanks so much for this new variety of shrub, it is a top notch winner! - Tami, OH, Zone 4

I purchased a small Black Lace in July to plant beside the edge of the water garden in our front yard. It is just beautiful there, among the large limestone boulders, and other plants, and has really grown in a short time. It is definitely the focal point of the garden, and everyone who visits seems drawn to it, asking me where they can get one. We are planning to add other water gardens to our landscape next season, and more Black Lace will find their home near them. - Sincerely, Brenda B. IA, Zone 5

This has got to be the best looking plant in my garden. I live in the UK, I planted this shrub in my garden in June 2005 when it was only 12cm in height it had tripled in size within a few months and distinctively looked like a Japanese maple but unlike the Japanese maple this looked stunning when the the wind blew the lacy leaves. Over winter it survived temperatures of -5 degrees. I cut back my black lace down to around 26cm in January by April, leaves began to emerge from the buds and in May it began a rapid growth it is now about 4ft by 2ft with beautiful pink flowers absolutely stunning I can't wait till the berries come as I have not seen this on my plant. whenever we have visitors everyone wants to know what it is and where did I get it from. I am so glad I planted it on a island bed in the middle of my garden as I can view its marvel from within my home it is definitely the centre piece in my garden It really makes my garden. Thank you for producing such a stunning shrub.  - Lin Tseng, UK.

I brought every one they had at Lowes garden center and they are perfect for the place I put them. I am replacing an old hedge and they will give me a clean view - Tim, NJ, Zone 6

MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO OUR LOCAL TREE/FLOWER NURSERY TODAY, J&L LANDSCAPING AND GARDEN CENTER AND FOUND SOMETHING VERY INTERESTING. MY HUSBAND IS A LANDSCAPER AND KNOWS A LOT ABOUT EVERY TYPE OF PLANT, TREE, SHRUB, WEED. YOU NAME IT HE KNOWS IT. I EVEN HEAR HIM TALKING ABOUT IT IN HIS SLEEP. WELL, WE WERE THERE TO GET A JAPANESE MAPLE TREE FOR A GIFT FOR HIS MOTHER. HE JUST PUT IN A BEAUTIFUL FISH POND IN HER YARD AND IT JUST WOULD NOT BE PERFECT WITH OUT A JAPANESE MAPLE HANGING OVER THE TOP. AS WE WERE WALKING THROW THE NURSERY, I SAID TO MY HUSBAND "CHECK THIS OUT" "WHAT IS IT"? HE SAID "I DON'T KNOW" WOW, YOU CAUGHT HIM IN A STUMP. HE DON'T KNOW!! WE LOOKED AT IT AND LOVED IT. THE BLACK LACE IS STUNNING. SO OF COARSE WE BOUGHT IT. IT LOOKS GREAT! WE CAN'T WAIT TO BUY ANOTHER FOR OUR YARD NOW. GREAT JOB.... THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL SHRUB. - JO-ANN, RHODE ISLAND

I've been looking for Sambucus nigra "Black Beauty" for my perennial garden for the last few years, but haven't had much luck either with local or online nurseries. Either they're too pricey or they've sold out. While browsing the local Lowe's recently, I found an unlabeled "Proven Winner" - the only one in the store - that looked like a Japanese maple, with greenish-purple finely cut foliage. The computer listed the plant only as "assorted shrubs". I used the SKU ticket to access your website and now I realize I have a Sambucus nigra "Black Lace". I can't wait to plant it and see how it grows. Thanks. - Ann, MA, zone 6

Share your experience: Rate how has this variety has preformed in your garden.

Hardiness: USDA Zone 4-7, in zones 4 and colder it can behave like a perennial in and die back in the winter. Quickly grows to form a nice plant the following spring.

Bloom Time: Begins in late June

Bloom Color:  Soft pink fading to white as they age. A lemony scent.

Foliage Color:  Attractive, finely cut, dark purple-black

Fall Color: Remains the same color 

Size: 6 to 8 feet high and wide with age. Can be easily maintained as a smaller plant or trained into a small tree

Exposure: Full sun for best foliage color

Soil: Best in moist soil although will tolerant. Dry soils. Thrives under acid or alkaline soils. 

Pruning: In zones 4 and colder it can behave like a perennial in and die back in the winter. Simply cut cut back any dead branches, as you would with a perennial. It quickly grows to form a nice plant the following spring. In zones 5 and warmer it grows like a typical shrubs, although hard pruning every few years results in a fuller, bushier plant.

Forms its flower buds in later summer and then flowers in early June. The best time to prune is it after it blooms, from mid-June to mid-August.  Cease pruning in mid-august to allow time for the flower buds to form prior to winter.

As a young plant it is best to prune or pinch your plant in order to build a full bodied, well branched plant.  If the plant is leggy when you purchased it, shear the plant back hard by 1/3  to 1/2 its original size. Once it puts on an inch or two of growth, pinch the branch tips to remove just the growing tip. This tip controls branching.  Once the tips are removed the buds below it will turn into stems. Once these new branches grow an inch or two, pinch the tip out again. You can repeat this throughout the first growing season as you are tending your garden.  Although you will sacrifice one year of bloom, this technique results in a well branched, full bodied plant that will have more flowers in subsequent years. The second season in the ground, repeat the pinching practice (or lightly shear) up until mid-August.  Cease pruning and pinching to allow the flower buds to set.

During the third and subsequence seasons, prune or pinch after flowering and up to bud set in mid-August. Do not be afraid to prune or shear your plant harder if you wish to maintain a shorter size.                           

Watering: Moist soils but becomes more drought tolerant with maturity. 

Wildlife: Birds 

Type: Deciduous

Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring by applying a slow release fertilizer specialized for trees & shrubs. Follow the label for recommended rate of application.

Uses: Groupings or masses, perennial or shrub borders, specimen, screens, roadsides, naturalizing, near boggy or wet gardens. 

Other: Fruit is edible and good for jellies, pies, juice and wine.

Breeders: Ken Tobutt and Jacqui Prevette of East Malling Research Station.

It was the talk of England’s Chelsea Garden Show, and it’s on its way to a garden center near you. 

BLACK LACE is a stunning development in Elderberry breeding.  Intense purple black foliage is finely cut, giving it an effect similar to that of Japanese maple.  

It is very cold hardy and easy to grow, and adaptable to most sites.  Full sun is needed for the best color.  It can be used as a dramatic accent plant, planted en masse for a trouble free hedge, or incorporated into the mixed or perennial border

Awards: ANLA-NMPro Best New plant 2006, Silver Medal Royal Boskoop Horticulture Society.

Sources : In a few select garden centers in 2006. National Release in 2007

Click here to locate a local retailer

or purchase via mail order at:

 

A sampling of Blogs speaking about Black lace

GardenDesignOnline: Plants to Covet

Digital Fower Pictures

Garden Tips

Garden Club Connection

 

 

 

 

 

Country Living Gardener is a trademark of Hearst Communications, Inc.

 

 

 

Garden Centers can purchase Black Lace 

from these Gold Key Licensed Growers 

Supplies are limited: There is a limited launch scheduled for Spring 2006 

The main launch is for spring 2007

Gold Key Licensed Growers 

Telephone

Address

Bailey Nurseries, Inc

800-829-8898

1325 Bailey Road, St. Paul, MN 55119-6199

Bennett's Creek Wholesale Nsy

757-483-1425

3613 Bridge Road, Suffolk, VA 23435-1807

Byland Nurseries Ltd

250-769-4466

1600 Byland Rd, Kelowna, BC, Canada V1Z 1H6

Canadale Nurseries Ltd

519-631-7264

269 Sunset Dr., St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada N5R 3C4

Carolina Nurseries, Inc.

800-845-2065

739 Gaillard Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461-5201

Clinton Nurseries

860-399-3000

P.O. Box 679, 517 Pond Meadow Road, Westbrook, CT 06498

Fisher Farms, LLC

503-985-7561

9650 SW Hardebeck Rd Gaston, OR 97119-7017

Greenleaf Nurseries Co.

918-457-5172

28406 Hwy 82, Park Hill, OK 74451-2845

 

Great Northern Nursery

866-628-5496

Imperial Nurseries

860-844-4541

PO Box 120, 90 Salmon Brook St., Granby, CT 06035-0120

Leo Gentry Wholesale Nursery, Inc.

503-658-5181

11251 SE 232nd Ave., Gresham, OR 97080

       

Mori Nurseries Ltd

905-468-3217

RR # 2, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada L0S 1J0

Northland Farms LLC

616-846-1477

11161 120th Ave., West Olive, MI 49460

Prides Corner Farms, Inc.

860-642-7535

122 Waterman Road, Lebanon, CT 06249

Quebec Multiplant 418-881-2477 755 rue de MARAIS, ST-APOLLINAIRE, QC G1M 3R7

Sheridan Nurseries, LTD

905-873-0522

12302 10th line, RR #4, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada L7G 4S7

  Liners Spring Meadow Nursery 800-633-8859 12601 120th Ave. Grand Haven, MI

Studebaker Nurseries

800-845-0584

11140 Milton-Carlisle Rd., New Carlisle, OH 45344

The Conard - Pyle Co.

800-458-6559

372 Rose Hill Rd., West Grove PA 19390-9701

Van Belle Nursery

604-853-3415

34825 Hallert Rd., Abbotsford, BC Canada V3G 1R3

Van Essen Nursery

541-451-3441

38846 River Dr, Lebanon, OR 97355

Willoway Nurseries, Inc.

440-934-4435

4534 Center Rd., PO Box 299, Avon, OH 44011-2399

Zelenka Nursery, LLC

616-842-1367

Winas Rd, Grand Haven, MI

 

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