Elderberry shrubs can also be affected by nutritional deficiencies and excesses, as well as under- and over-watering. I suggest you put all of the dead material in a plastic bag and put it in your trash to hauled away. Bloom Time: Early summer. If aphids become numerous, wash them from the plants with a strong spray of water, or prune out and destroy the infested terminals. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. I've picked off the ends. In autumn, its leaves turn a rich red. ... FWIW, I've never seen 'Black Lace' set fruit, although it flowers heavily. It grows well in partial shade but full sun produces the best foliage colours. There are many things that could result in the damage to your shrub. Unfortunately it is almost certainly too late to save this one. Black Lace Elderberry - My black lace elderberry hs growing to large, can I cut it back to ground level; Q. Elderberry ,planted In Spring ,is Not Growing. It is a small plant. Insecticidal soap or oil may control aphids. Samantha McMullen began writing professionally in 2001. We have a Black Lace Elderberry that is more than 10 years old. Elderberry trees grow best when planted in a well-draining, nutrient-rich soil … Now, most of the ends are wilting. The shrubs are extremely adaptable and thrive with little care; however, occasional pruning, feeding and abundant water will improve their overall appearance, particularly if grown in warm areas within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b and above. Black Lace Sambucus plants are hardy in USDA zones 4-10 but they grow best in cooler climates. The Black Lace elderberry reaches up to 8 feet tall and grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Allow the surface of the soil to dry out slightly, but do not let the soil dry out completely at a depth greater than 3 inches since the shrub will suffer stress and fail to bloom. Use very sharp and clean bypass loppers to cut the stems. I have a sambucus nigra black lace I bought from a nursery Its tag with care instructions and its description says it is a sambucus nigra black lace. Sambucus nigra is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae native to most of Europe and North America. From the look of your photo it appears there is still some green leaves at the lower left of your plant. Why is it not growing? There is a boring insect, the Sambucus borer, that will cause this kind of damage. Black Lace ® elderberry is a perfectly stylish addition to your landscape.. Intense purple black foliage is finely cut like lace, giving it an effect similar to that of Japanese maple. If it is what I think it is, see the link below, the fix would have been to prune out the affected wood before the damage progressed. Black Lace Elderberry. I watched as my Lemony Lace elderberry (Sambucus racemes) wilted one chunk at a time, and just when it was finally getting to a good size after three years in the ground. It does produce leaves and a few blossoms, but does not grow. Do not hard prune every year since the natural shape and flowering tendencies of the shrub will suffer. Growing Requirements for European Elder Plants. My well established Black Lace Elderberry shrub has occasionally lost branches due to wilting in the past, but this year it is excessive. This may be the most ornamental and is certainly the most exotic. You were right that it is a borer, but it's the Currant Borer ( the clear wing moth), not the Sambucas Borer. Elderberries are from the family Caprifoliaceae, or honeysuckle family. but the Black Lace Elder is well worth growing in your landscape. Oregon State University Extension Service: Grow Elderberries as a Fruit-Bearing Ornamental. Can this be taken that it is an elderflower and can be used as such.? I planted a Black Lace elderberry 5 years ago. Water "Black Lace" elderberries to a depth of 3 inches every seven to 10 days from late April until early September. https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/hosts-pests-landscape-plants/elderberry-sambucus-borer. I say least favorite because it is the plant that has reputedly had the most number of words ever written about it (and here I am adding to that). Hello. Thanks for letting me know what you found. My black lace elderberry that is about 3-4 years old. Do a good job of cleaning up the area when you cut down the shrub. If you look at photos of healthy Lemony Lace Elderberry plants, you will see that the older leaves protected by the top layer of yellow leaves are green. https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/hort/landscape/hosts-pests-landscape-plants/elderberry-sambucus-borer , you may see the damage described in the paper. If the green is part of your elderberry, I recommend that you to remove all of the dead limbs from the shrub leaving the green parts. The most common variety … She had taken pieces of it to her garden center and they had found worms. Elders grow best in full sun. We prune out dead, damaged, or dying wood as soon as we see it. Call before you go to be sure a Master Gardener is at the office. The last two years I have been having a nightmare with black fly. Although feeding may cause stunted and distorted leaves, usually only a few terminals are involved. It’s so well known by now that most of us just call it “Black Lace”) was wilting as well. Plant "Black Lace" elderberries in a sunny bed with freely draining soil. One of my readers wrote to say that her Black Lace (the plant I’m referring to is a plant known as sambucus nigra Black Lace, or Black Lace Elderberry, by the way. Cut the shrub back to within 1 foot of the ground after its first winter to encourage a bushier shape. Ask an Expert is made up of groups and individual experts. Big clusters of pink flowers stand out against the dark leaves and are followed by black fruit. Elderberry gets a lot of support as a healing agent through word of mouth and old wives’ tales, but its success in medical tests is less definite. The stems … zephyray. It now looks as if I may be losing the entire shrub. It started off as a 2 feet tall little thing last spring, but by fall, it was over 6 feet tall! Elderberry Problems. Q. The tree is known for the production of small vitamin-rich berries that are used in jams, jellies and desserts. Black Lace elderberry is generally healthy, but may suffer an occasional attack from an insect or fungal infection. Plant "Black Lace" elderberries in a sunny bed with freely draining soil. Here is a link to a paper on an insect that attacks the elderberry and may be the cause of your damage. Apply 10-10-10 fertilizer diluted to half-strength around the base of the shrub. The aforementioned clusters of blossoms turn to black, blue or red berries favored by birds. Intense purple black foliage is finely cut, giving it an effect similar to that of Japanese maple. Branches are susceptible to damage from high winds or from heavy snow/ice in winter. Sambucus leaves, bark, roots, and buds can be toxic to pets. Elderberry refers to several varieties of the Sambucus tree, which has clusters of white flowers and black or blue-black berries. This helps maintain the health of our shrub. The Black Lace Elderberry is such a beautiful shrub, it adds so much to any landscape. The Black Elderberry in its various forms grows throughout the world and is known by those who cherish it by many different names. Some varieties of elderberry are beautiful and completely suitable as a focal point for a cottage or formal garden, such as the beautiful Black Lace Elderberry.Most are far more suitable planted in the back of a garden, along a fence row, or as a deciduous hedgerow, because of how big and unruly they can be. Creamy pink flowers in spring contrast nicely with the dark leaves. Plant Black Lace in containers, as a specimen plant in the yard or mass them together for an eye-catching display. Black Lace™ is a stunning development in Elderberry breeding. Do you have any ideas and suggestions? Feed "Black Lace" elderberries twice yearly in the spring as the flower buds form and again after fruit sets. Plants can spread somewhat aggressively in optimum conditions. It Seems - dormant. How Tall Does a Japanese Dwarf Red Maple Grow? Thanks very much. I first saw it in Wayside Garden’s fall catalogue last fall. The elderberry sends out new shoots from the base of the plant. Hard prune "Black Lace" elderberries in early spring every three years. It now looks as if I may be losing the entire shrub. You can also cut out a damaged limb and take it to the Benton County Extension Office for a Master Gardener, or staff horticulturist to attempt to identify the issue. Thanks Pat Berman pat.berman@gmail.com. Noted for its dramatic foliage, award-winning Sambucus nigra Black Lace® (Elderberry) is a large, upright, deciduous shrub adorned with a striking lacy foliage of deeply dissected, purple black leaves from spring to fall. The nursery says it is, how can you be 100% do not want to poison myself thanks Elderberries belong to the genus Sambucus, which includes a variety of species and cultivars grown as ornamental and fruit-bearing shrubs. However, sometimes elderberries can suffer from diseases like cankers, leaf and stem spots, and heart rots, as well as from pests like soft scales, borers and aphids. My Black Lace is UNBELIEVABLE - after 2 years, it started to grow like crazy last year. Certain species of aphids occasionally are found feeding on elderberry. I notice that your shrub is planted right next to a fence. This must have been progressing for some time? Indeed, some designers are using it in place of more sensitive plants since Black Lace is extremely durable and adaptable. The elderberry is a hardy plant and you may be able to save it, if you want to put in the effort. The green veins/yellow between is a sign of Chlorosis - the leaves, for some reason, are no longer producing chlorophyll and the chloroplasts are dying. Q. Sambucus nigra. Elderberry Leaf Problems. The cultivar "Black Lace" stands out among other varieties with its lacy, purplish-red leaves and pink flower clusters, which emerge in late spring and ripen into deep, blackish-purple berries in summer. To produce the best coloured leaves, prune plants back to ground level every year in early spring (bear in mind this may be at the expense of flowers and fruit). I yanked out the entire thing, damaged the roots severely and transplanted it to another location in my bed. Problems. The elderberry plant is a large shrub or tree that is native to North America. Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' 'Black Lace' is easily our most popular elderberry, and with good reason. Black Lace elderberry grows 6 to 8 feet tall. Common names for the Black Elderberry include Elder, Common Elder, American Elder, European Elder, Sureau, Holunderbeeren, Sambucus, Sambuci, Sauco, Holunder, Ellhorn and Boor Tree, to name a few. Is it possible that your shrub has growth on the other side of the fence and that your neighbors sprayed what they thought was a weed, or invasive? Nearby plants show no similar problems. It's strappy dark purple leaves really add drama, and they resemble the leaves of Japanese lace-leaf maples. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. Watering has not revived it. But no, I am talking about one of my least favorite plants, sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace, ‘ or Black Lace elderberry. 9 years ago. Some susceptibility to canker, powdery mildew, leaf spot, borers, spider mites and aphids. Prune out the dead wood all the way down to the base of the shrub, leaving only the limbs that have green growth. Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' is bushy and reaches approximately 3 metres height and 2 metres spread at maturity, but can be pruned back to keep it smaller. Water deeply after feeding to distribute the fertilizer into the soil. Her nearly 20 years of experience in horticulture informs her work, which has appeared in publications such as Mother Earth News. With a title like that, this could almost be a Victorian murder mystery or something. Spread a 3-inch-thick layer of acidic mulch around the base of the "Black Lace" elderberry shrub every year in the spring. Looks Healthy, Had Flowers But They Fell Off A Month Ago And Now Nothing. Plant multiple "Black Lace" elderberries 6 to 10 feet apart to create a hedge. “Black Lace” is a hot new elderberry cultivar that was available in very limited release in 2006. Thank you for submitting your question to “Ask an Expert”. Remove the previous years' layer of mulch and spread a fresh layer in a 20-inch radius around the trunk to help keep the soil moist and cool during the summer months. Borer in black lace elderberry. Asked May 21, 2016, 11:08 AM EDT. I have a question for those who know about elderberries. This Black Elder is a fantastic and unusual choice with the RHS Award of … Watering has not revived it. Height: 6 to 8 feet. This native cultivar of Sambucus canadensis goes by the common name “Adams.” It is one of the most common elderberries grown in North America and is similar to those found growing wild.Adams ElderberryThe signature white flowers, and large clusters of dark purple fruits, make it easily identifiable as a beautiful yard accent.At full height, this beautiful bush can reach between 6 and 10 feet tall. In your plant, the older leaves are dying. It will thrive in USDA Hardiness Zon… I realise now that I should have treated it over winter, but at the time had no idea what to do. When I went to order one it was already sold out. Verticillium wilt is a nasty soilborne disease that affects many plants (here’s a list), including elderberries. Black Lace® elderberry — Buy now from Proven Winners (Sambucus nigra 'Eva') Zones: 4-7. Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ has very finely cut, almost black foliage, which is the perfect foil to the pink-flushed blooms, which are followed by red-black elderberries. July 29th, 2007 . It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry fertile soils, primarily in sunny locations. Amend the soil at the planting site with a 5-inch-thick layer of mildly acidic compost worked into the bed to a depth of 15 inches. Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace’ Credit: Photo: ALAMY Advice for a weary weeder Thistles and grass have invaded my son’s long, narrow boundary border where he planted trees and shrubs a year ago. Plant the shrub so the base of its trunk is level with the surrounding soil. My well established Black Lace Elderberry shrub has occasionally lost branches due to wilting in the past, but this year it is excessive. If you decide to remove your elderberry, I recommend that you do not plant another elderberry, or plant in the elderberry family, in the same spot. It has never grown any larger than the day I planted it. Nearby plants show no similar problems. What could be … I've got a lovely elderberry tree at the bottom of my garden, about 15ft high and really sturdy. In early summer, a profusion of lemon-scented umbels packed with creamy pink flowers are on display. This year would have been the first year I've seen it in full bud.