Red Elderberry: varieties, planting and garden uses

Partager

0

Sambucus racemosa, the red-berried elder, is a tough deciduous shrub grown as much for its deeply divided, almost fern-like foliage as for its clusters of scarlet summer fruit. It flowers early, in conical creamy-green panicles that appear with the unfurling leaves, and the golden-leaved cultivars are among the most striking foliage shrubs available for a cool, partly shaded border. Unusually for an elder, its berries colour up in early summer rather than autumn, feeding birds weeks before other shrubs come into fruit.

Growing conditions

In cool maritime climates the plant flowers and fruits best in full sun, but golden and finely cut cultivars keep far better colour with midday shade. A position facing east or west, sheltered from hot afternoon glare and from drying winds, gives the cleanest foliage all summer.

Almost any reasonable garden soil suits it, from heavy clay to thin chalk, provided it does not bake dry in midsummer. It prefers a moisture-retentive, humus-rich loam and is happy anywhere between pH 5.5 and 7.5. Waterlogging in winter is the one condition it genuinely dislikes.

It is exceptionally cold-hardy and thrives in upland and northern gardens where many shrubs sulk. In regions with hot, dry summers, treat it as a plant for dappled woodland edge rather than an open border.

How to plant Sambucus

Plant bare-root or containerised specimens between late autumn and early spring, whilst the shrub is dormant and the soil still warm enough for roots to settle. Autumn planting establishes fastest because winter rains do the watering for you.

• Allow 2–3 m between plants, or 1.2 m for dwarf cultivars, so the arching stems can develop without crowding.
• Set the plant at the same depth it grew in the pot, keeping the crown level with the soil surface — never buried.
• Fork over a generous planting area and work in well-rotted compost or leaf mould; elders respond strongly to organic matter.
• Water in with at least 10 litres, then mulch 7 cm deep, leaving a gap around the stems.
• Propagate from hardwood cuttings 20–25 cm long taken in late autumn, or softwood cuttings in early summer; seed needs a warm period followed by three months of cold stratification.

Care through the seasons

Spring: Apply a balanced general fertiliser or a bucket of garden compost around the root zone as buds swell. If you grow the plant purely for foliage, cut all stems back to a low framework of 30–45 cm in March for larger, more vividly coloured leaves. Leave unpruned if you want flowers and berries.

Summer: Water deeply during dry spells in the first two or three years, especially on chalk or sandy ground; drought stress shows quickly as crisped leaf margins. Remove any plain green reverted shoots on variegated or golden forms as soon as you spot them. Berries ripen scarlet from late June and are usually stripped by birds within a fortnight.

Autumn: Thin out one or two of the oldest stems at the base to keep the shrub open and productive. Top up the mulch after leaf fall, and clear fallen leaves if mildew was a problem. Take hardwood cuttings once the wood has firmed and the leaves have dropped.

Winter: The shrub is fully dormant and needs no protection in temperate gardens. Brittle stems can snap under heavy snow, so shake off deep accumulations on wall-trained or top-heavy plants.

Best varieties to grow

Foliage cultivars far outshine the wild species in a garden setting.

• ‘Plumosa Aurea’ — deeply cut golden leaves, bronze when young; holder of the RHS Award of Garden Merit and best with some shade.
• ‘Sutherland Gold’ — similar golden, feathery foliage but markedly more resistant to leaf scorch; also an AGM cultivar.
• ‘Lemony Lace’ — compact at around 1–1.5 m, with threadlike chartreuse leaflets and red new growth, ideal for smaller plots.
• ‘Tenuifolia’ — slow-growing, low and mounded with finely dissected green leaves, an elegant choice for a shady corner.

Pests, diseases and common problems

• Blackfly (elder aphid): Dense colonies twist the soft shoot tips in late spring. Squash or hose them off, and encourage ladybirds and hoverflies rather than spraying — infestations collapse naturally by midsummer.
• Leaf scorch: Golden cultivars develop brown, papery edges in hot, exposed positions or when dry at the roots. Mulch generously, water deeply in droughts, and move or replace with ‘Sutherland Gold’ where sun is unavoidable.
• Powdery mildew and stem dieback: White bloom on leaves in humid, stagnant air, sometimes followed by dying shoots. Prune out affected stems to healthy wood, thin congested growth to improve airflow, and clear fallen leaves.