It, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’ is more functional than ornamental here, used to provide shade for seating in a prime garden viewing spot. Added: The original receipt was finally located for the purchase of this shrub, from Heronswood, shipped June 14, 2004.
It is not really a tree, but rather more of a large shrub, with judicious pruning required to keep the pathway clear underneath. But that’s okay. I like to prune.
The foliage was claimed to be golden, but it is more greenish to my eyes. But that’s okay, as well.
There are fluffy white flowers in mid-spring. The petals drop like flower shaped sequins onto the seating beneath as the breezes blow. It is not only okay, I love it. Sometimes when I go inside, there are tiny flowers in my hair.
Later the green multitudes of berries will turn very dark, like a rich red wine. Some people make wine from them, but here the birds devour every last bit of luciousness quickly. And that, too, is okay.
Some plant facts about golden elderberry, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’:
Common Name: American elder
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Adoxaceae
Zone: 3 to 9, some sources said 4 to 11
Height: 5 to 12 feet, about 15 feet here in southeast Tennessee USDA Zone 7a
Spread: 3 to 10 feet
Bloom Time: June to July, May here, sometimes even late April
Bloom Color: White
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet, we don’t have wet and it is often quite dry in summer
Maintenance: Needs pruning
Flowers: Showy Flowers, Fragrant Flowers
Leaves: Colorful
Fruit: Showy Fruit, Edible Fruit
Wildlife: Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies
Tolerates: Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Uses: Erosion Control, Hedge, Rain Garden, umbrella to shade seating from the sun
Grow in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best golden foliage color in full sun. Tolerates wide range of soils, but prefers moist, humusy soils. Spreads by root suckers to form colonies. (That must be in wet soil, there has been minimal colonization here.) Prune out dead or weakened stems in early spring.
A fast-growing deciduous shrub, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’ is often seen as a broad, spreading, multistemmed plant, with pinnately compound, 12 to 14-inch-long yellow leaves arranged along the arching branches. But it can be effectively pruned into a nice, small, single or multi-stemmed tree with regular pruning to remove suckers growing from the base of the plant. When in bloom, golden elderberry is literally smothered with 6 to 10-inch-wide clusters of yellowish-white blooms. These are followed by a multitude of small, dark red berries which are quite popular with birds, and can be used in pies, jellies, or fermented to make a wine. Here, we let the birds have the berries, and greatly enjoy watching the birds feasting on them.
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This post is part of my dear friend Gail of Clay and Limestone’s Wildflower Wednesday. Be sure to pop over there to see what other wildflowers are showing on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Frances
Fairegarden 
A friend of ours makes elderberry jelly every year and gives us some. Yummy. I can see why the birds eat them. I didn’t know they had such sweet looking flowers that dropped.
Wowzer, I love this beauty! Here’s a case of me thinking I needed full sun and wet soil to grow it and I might not. This is one of the many reasons I love blogging and Wildflower Wednesday. I continue to learn from my gardening friends! Happy WW to you my dear friend. xoxogail
Hi Frances…what a great shrub. It’s nice that it’s so pretty and provides shade for your sitting area., plus feeds the birds!
I have a great Elderberry-Apple Pie recipe if you ever want to use some of them for yourself.
I really love that tree/shrub. I have a golden elderberry, but I’ve never noticed if it makes fruit. My black one is crazy with blooms this year. So pretty. I didn’t think you ever sat down Faire. I thought you simply worked all day long. Ha!~~Dee
Great post! I have the one called Black Beauty, which doesn’t make anywhere near as many berries as yours. I limbed mine up this winter, and I’m really hoping it has a somewhat more tree-like shape in the future, like yours. I love that last shot from inside the shrub, with berries hanging down and the sun coming through the leaves. I bet it is a wonderful vantage point to get shelter, and to view the garden.
What a beautiful shrub – I could look at your garden all day there is so much to see.
My Grandmother grew this plant. She used the roots of this plant to make a poltice for poison ivy. We lived on a farm in very rural southeastern N.C. I love your blog!
I have three different elderberries. A straight species A. canadensis in a corner, mostly for the birds. Second, some native red elderberry (S. racemosa) and S. Sutherland’s Gold, which I found out too late is actually a European elder.
I just love your photos and all the information. You are a few weeks ahead of us here in Zone 6B Canada because we’ve had some strange weather. I look forward to elder flowers for cordial and foxgloves for the fairies who are patiently waiting for the crazy rain to stop. I think I saw a fairy riding a hummingbird holding a leaf overhead.
Hi Frances! I so enjoyed your post. I just planted two Sutherland’s Gold today. I wonder how they’ll fare, as we have heavy clay soil . . . and oak trees. I’d be very happy if they resemble yours someday!! 🙂
Pretty shrub, and what a pretty place it has in your garden!
Lea
Lea’s Menagerie
You must be quite adept as a pruner, dealing with such weak wood, the tree is lovely. My S. caerulea got immense then totally fell apart after a heavy snowfall. The other smaller Elderberries have remained more like small bushes. I do pick some fruit from ‘York’. Great post!
Frances I planted an elderberry that I hope will grow glorious to supply some berries for me and some for the birds…your garden is so lovely
So lovely! Wish I could see your garden on a slope in person 🙂 thanks for the great info on the golden elderberry. Now I want elderberry blossoms in my hair, too!
Beautiful images! I’m sure the birds are so grateful that you let them share in the bounty of berries. “Berry blossoms in my hair…” I think there’s a song in there, just waiting to be written.
Ah, I just planted a couple of ‘Sutherland Gold’ elderberries in my yard! Their leaves are very yellow right now – seems like I read that they are more yellow with more sun. Can’t wait for them to grow – I wonder if they’ll fruit as nicely as yours. Pretty things.
The most perfect place to relax! 🙂
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Where can you buy Elderberry plants in Eastern NC ?