• Delicate, almost black foliage adds drama to borders
• Contrasting white flowerheads appear in early summer
• Fully hardy, best in full sun but will tolerate part shade
• Dark fruits in autumn are attractive to birds
• 3Ltr pot plant delivered to your door

The black elder, Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’, will make its presence felt in any garden border from spring through to autumn. The delicate, deep purple (almost black) foliage that emerges each spring is adorned by contrasting, flattish, white flowerheads in early summer. Birds also take an interest in autumn when the dark fruits appear. It’s fully hardy and will increase in size to a height and spread of up to 3m, but can be kept in check by pruning.

How you will receive your plants:

Selected by our team of experts and sent from our nursery, you will receive your plant in a pot, ready to plant out.

Can’t plant straight away?

Place the pot in a sheltered spot outdoors and water regularly to keep the soil moist.

Planting in the ground:

Dig a hole slightly wider than the rootball of the plant. Place the plant in the hole so that it sits at the same level in the ground as it did in the pot. When backfilling, mix in a soil improver such as well-rotted farmyard manure. Firm the soil around the plant and water well.

Planting in containers:

Choose a pot with good drainage holes. Place stones or crocks (bits of broken pottery) at the bottom of the pot to stop the drainage holes clogging up. Use a good quality compost. Feed and water container-grown plants regularly.

Water shrubs regularly in the first year after planting and in dry periods

When to plant and what to expect at different times of the year

You can plant hardy shrubs, trees and perennials at any time of the year avoiding the two extremes of heat and cold. During the summer months when it is hot and dry the need for watering becomes crucial to aid successful establishment and in the winter when the soil is frozen the plants will not be in active growth either above or below ground and risk getting cold damage. The same is true on the stage or growth you can expect your plants to be delivered in and this will be directly related to the time of year and the season.

When ordering through the year, here’s a summary of what to expect when receiving your plants:

Spring Months: Plants supplied in spring will be starting to show signs of active growth above and below ground.

Summer Months: Plants supplied in the late summer will be more advanced in size and flower stage

Autumn Months: In the autumn plants will be changing colour, showing signs of leaf colour breakdown and be preparing to shut down for winter.

Winter Months: Plants ordered and supplied during the winter months will be dormant and therefore may not be showing growth above the soil level or consist of bare branches with no leaves or bare roots with no soil.

These are all perfectly normal and natural for these types of plants growing in the northern hemisphere. All will still have a very healthy root system that can be planted when the weather is favourable by keeping the new soil level equal to the pot level and therefore not covering the crown of the plant at all. Planting during the autumn and winter months will allow for early establishment in the season and a bigger and better display throughout the main growing season. For more information on our plant sizes click here.