Black Beauty® Elderberry

If you want a reliable, easy care large shrub that handles just about any condition and delivers amazing, deep, dark foliage, you need to include Black Beauty® Elderberry (Sambucus nigra Gerda') in your landscape.

You'll fall in love with the unique, exotic hue of the bold foliage. It contrasts so beautifully against their stunningly elegant, pale pink flowers in early spring.

First introduced in Europe and brought to the United States in 2004, Black Beauty was field tested and approved as a Proven Winners® selection. You can count on its performance as a stylish structural element in your landscape.

Black Beauty Elderberry is an exquisite ornamental shrub, but not many people know about them. Why not turn some heads with these wonderfully chic plants?

Keep it pruned for size, or allow it to grow to its full height and spread. Either way, you'll love the effortless good looks. With an easy-breezy, organic shape and fabulous foliage, this special plant brings a fresh sensibility to modern landscapes.

When you first see this shrub you'll be astonished by its exotic foliage. Long, lance-shaped leaves range from deep-purple to black. Even the young stems are deep, delicious purple. (You'll get the best color if you plant it in full sun.)

As if that wasn't enough, clusters of pink blossoms delight your senses with a delightful lemon scent. Butterflies are also drawn by the lovely floral scent and sweet nectar.

High in antioxidants, vitamins and other nutritional value, glossy black Elderberries will develop in fall if you pair Black Beauty with a pollination partner. Elderberries have been prized for generations for their varied uses.

Pair it with the lacey leaves of Black Lace® Elderberry to pollinate. Local birds will certainly appreciate the annual berry production. Or, pick them yourself to use in yummy jams, syrups and wine. You can also use Black Beauty as the only variety if you don't want to mess with berry production.

Homeowners across Growing Zones 4 - 7 love this fabulous plant. Order Black Beauty for your landscape today!

How to Use Black Beauty in the Landscape

There's sure to be space somewhere in your yard for this unique, one-of-a-kind ornamental. Use several across your property line. You'll extend the height and improve the looks of any landscape fence.

Have a low spot that stays damp? Black Beauty Elderberry works beautifully in these areas. Create a Rain Garden to help filter water runoff from your roof or street.

Need a fast-growing shrub or cut flower plant to use as a backdrop in your cutting garden? Plant a few of them as a unique hedge. For a hedge, plant them 8 feet apart on center. You'll measure from the center of one to the center of the next.

A single plant looks remarkable as an accent or focal point. Try one at the corner of your foundation plant to anchor the structure to the landscape.

Small yard? Try growing it into a bold perennial. Just simply cut it back each year down to the ground. It will regrow quickly into a dramatic statement plant, but stay small for you.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Plant it in just about any soil in either full sun or partial shade and give it regular water. Then, just watch it grow!

Elderberry can take hard pruning. After the first year, cut it back down to 12 inches tall to develop a bushier plant. Every 3 years, you can hard prune in the spring to maintain its shape.

Or, allow it to grow naturally. Over time, it will develop into a small tree with multiple trunks.

Dark purple berries ripen in the fall and can be used like its American counterpart (Sambucus canadensis) for jams and wine. The birds and wildlife enjoy these juicy, dark, little berries, but don't let them eat all of them.

Cook them with sweetener to make fabulous wine and tasty preserves. For the best fruiting, plan to pair it with a Black Lace®, Instant Karma® or Laced Up® Elderberry as a pollination partner.

Give Elderberries a thick layer of mulch to keep the root system cool in the heat of the summer. Apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch out 4 feet from the center of the plant. Feed with Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Organic and Natural Premium Fertilizer late in the winter and after fruit sets in the summertime.

Black Beauty Elderberry is a beautiful plant that is also very tough and vigorous. It grows beautifully without much care. You'll love the attention it commands, and the way it lures butterflies to your yard. Order today and get started enjoying it!