Common Name: Red-berried elder
Genus: Sambucus
Species: racemosa
Cultivar: 'Plumosa Aurea'
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Partial shade
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Clay/heavy, Chalky/alkaline, Dry, Moist, Boggy, Sandy
Height: 300cm
Spread: 300cm
Time to prune: March to April
The red-berried elder has been cultivated for centuries, both as game cover and as a garden shrub, and is noted for its profuse summer crops of gleaming scarlet berries in large heavy sprays. It is a robust shrub which will grow almost anywhere, including difficult conditions such as waterlogged or very chalky ground. It has produced numerous ornamental varieties, including 'Plumosa Aurea', an elegant and aristocratic elder with deeply cut, brilliant gold foliage seen at its best in light shade in sunny spots, grow 'Sutherland Gold'. Annual pruning by back to groundlevel in early spring ensures the brightest colour.
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