General Culture:
Grow in medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best foliage color may be in full sun. Tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers moist, humusy ones. Spreads by root suckers to form large colonies. Prune suckers as they appear unless naturalizing. A large number of late winter pruning options include (a) pruning out dead or weakened stems, (b) shortening one year stems or (c) cutting back to the ground to rejuvenate. Regular pruning of the foliage of this cultivar will promote growth of additional purple leaves.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
BLACK BEAUTY is a cultivar of common or European elder. It is particularly noted for its dark purple foliage and its lemon-scented, pink flowers. It is a large, upright, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 8-15’ tall. Height after 8 years is about 10’ tall unless pruned shorter. Compound pinnate leaves (3-7 ovate to elliptic leaflets each) are dark purple and generally retain that color throughout most of the growing season. Young stems are also purple, with older branches being a rough, gray-brown. Tiny pink flowers appear in large flattened cymes (to 10” across) in June. Flowers emit a lemony aroma. Flowers give way to clusters of black elderberry fruits in late summer. Fruits of species plants have been used to make jams and jellies, but are not considered to be as flavorful as the American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). Species fruits have also been used to make elderberry wine. Fruits are attractive to wildlife. U.S. Plant Patent PP12,305 issued December 25, 2001.
Problems:
Some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites and aphids. Branches are susceptible to damage from high winds or from heavy snow/ice in winter.
Uses:
Good accent shrub featuring dark purple leaves, attractive flowers and interesting fruits. Landscape specimen, shrub borders, screens or backgrounds. Good shrub for stream/pond peripheries or low spots.
© Missouri Botanical
Garden, 2001-2010
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