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NEW from England! Intense Purple-Black foliage provides season long interest and color! The unique, massive 10", pink flowers cover the plant in midsummer and emit a light lemon fragrance. A first for Sambucus! Dark purple berries in late summer attract songbirds and can be use to make wine. Sambucus nigra 'Gerda'
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What People are saying ... This is a stunning plant/tree all year long, and is a prolific bloomer. If I lived on a heavily traveled street, I'm sure it would stop traffic. It takes no care whatsoever. Kathy W, WA, Zone 8 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: Rich pink, with a lemony scent Foliage Color: 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: As a young plant Black Lace can be awkward, but if properly pruned it can mature into a beautiful specimen. 1) Cut back all the branches to within 6" of the main stem. As the new branches start to grow - pinch the tips of the new growth. Do this every time the plant send out a new branch. Each time you pinch the tip the plant will develop two new branches and create a bush plant. 2) The plant flowers on old wood. So pinching and pruning will eliminate flowers. It is worth giving up a year of flowers in order to build a bush plant. 3) Once you have a bush plant, stop the pinching and pruning in mid summer in order to allow the flower buds to form. The next spring the plant should flower. Once you see which branches are going to flower, continue to pinch the other branches. One the plant has finished flowering - trim the branches back hard or to the desired size and begin pinching as need to bulk the plant up. Stop all pruning in mid summer to allow flower buds to form. Once the plant has the body you want there is not longer a need to pinch. From here it just a matter of pruning to keep the plant the size you want. Just remember to do the pruning right after the flowers have faded. This plant can be cut back very hard it you want to keep it smaller. With a little pinching and pruning you will be rewarded with a beautiful plant. 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. Fragrant pink flowers are grouped in masses over 10 inches across and cover the plant in early summer. Dark purple berries in late summer attract songbirds and can be used to make wine. Use it as a shrub, as a bold perennial or train it into a small tree. It's colorful, versatile and easy to grow. Buy it now from
Gardens of the North (US mail order) GardenImport (Canadian mail order)
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