Sambucus nigra 'Marginata' (Black elder, European elder, Elderberry, Variegated black elder)

Photo/Illustration: Allan Mandell

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Botanical Name: Sambucus nigra 'Marginata' sam-BOO-kus NY-grah Common Name: Black elder, European elder, Elderberry, Variegated black elder Genus: Sambucus

This vigorous cultivar has attractive dark green leaves with yellow margins that fade to white. In summer, it bears flattened clusters of creamy white flowers which mature in fall to glossy black fruit. Plants grow 10-20 feet tall and wide.
Noteworthy characteristics: Sambucus is suitable for mixed or shrub borders or for naturalizing in wild areas; this variegated cultivar is effective as a specimen. Its fruits have culinary attributes when cooked, but can cause illness if eaten raw, or if the poisonous seeds are consumed.
Care: Provide moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun to partial shade. Sambucus may be pruned minimally to maintain a healthy framework, but it benefits from hard pruning to restrict its size. Cultivars such as this that are grown for their foliage may be cut back to the ground annually in late winter or early spring.
Propagation: Take softwood cuttings in early summer.
Problems: Powdery mildew, canker, dieback, rust, fungal leaf spots, borers, virus diseases.

Overview
User Reviews
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Height	15 ft. to 30 ft.
Spread	15 ft. to 30 ft.
Growth Habit	Clumps
Growth Pace	Fast Grower
Light	Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture	Medium Moisture
Maintenance	Low
Characteristics	Attracts Birds; Attracts Butterflies; Fragrant Flowers; Showy Flowers; Showy Foliage; Showy Fruit
Bloom Time	Summer
Foliage Color	Variegated Foliage
Flower Color	White Flower
Uses	Beds and Borders, Flowering Tree, Hedge, Poisonous, Specimen Plant/ Focal Point
Style	Cottage Garden
Seasonal Interest	Spring Interest, Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type	Shrubs

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