I bought one from Bluestone this spring and it is doing very well. I have it in a shady spot at the edge of the yard.

We have wild red elderberries that grow along the edge of our woods, and they do not die back so I am expecting the Black Lace to behave similarly.

Linda

I just looked at these on the Spring Meadow Nursery website, and it said winter hardy to zone 5, that in zone 4, they will die back. To me, that sounds like a good thing. One less shrub to cut and prune and keep in bounds.
They sure are gorgeous, arent they? Pondy

I planted a Black Lace last fall and it made it through the winter just fine. It did not die back, but as short as it was, it was completely covered by a snowdrift during most of the winter, which was probably a good thing for a new little bush. I have it planted in a spot that tends to hold moisture well.

I also have 2 large elderberries that are blooming right now. They get berries that are as black as tar. My understanding is that the Black Lace needs to be polinated by its own kind and that my other elderberry will likely not do the trick. Does anyone have experience with getting the Black Lace to set fruit? Carmellia

I am curious about this as well. Last year I saw one at the nursery that was tree sized and fell in love with it. This year, so far, I have only seen shrub sized ones at the garden centers. I would love to have one but have also read that there is die back like a perennial. I don't know if that goes for the tree size as well? I also hadn't heard that it needs another like kind to polinate in order to get the berries. I thought it would be nice for the birds. Hmmmm?

Hey there y'all!
I bought a little potted shrub last fall- got it in the ground and thought it had bit the dust over the winter- but here in Mpls suburbia- it did die back to the ground only to come up slow and steady all spring. It has not gotten very tall- and is currently not even visible- because the neighboring plants in the back of the border have grown up so tall around it-
If it makes it through another winter- and dies back to the ground- making a tall shrub into a low growing thing, I think I will have to move it to a MUCH shorter, front part of the bed area in the spring...

I bought one early in the spring. It's planted in full sun in sandy soil. I have been watering it frequently. So far it's put on a fair amount of growth and flowered a couple of times. From what I've read it behaves more like a perennial in zone 4. I remember reading some comments that they are quite vigorous and come back strong. The "Proven Winners" website says they are hardy to zone 4.

Here is a link that might be useful: Proven winners Black Lace

Oh great! Now you've gone and done it. What is it about shrubs that make my heart do flips? Like I need another one, I just planted four hydrangeas.

Hi Melissa-

Planted one late last summer, deer nibbled a quite a bit over winter. Below is from about two weeks ago. Very shaded where it is planted. About 2'h x 4'w.
{{gwi:1052244}}

Elderberry 'Sutherland Gold' below planted in '05. picture below from '07. Catches a bit more sun than my Black Lace. Stands over 6', with only minor deer pruning each year. Probably 5 or so clusters of berries this year.
{{gwi:962502}}

Paul

I had planted one in Owatonna summer before last. We thought it had died that first winter because it was a long time greening up in the spring. Seems like the lower part of the branches did eventually grow leaves and we had to prune quite a lot off. It didn't die clear back to the ground there. Maybe halfway...

Great timing for this thread.
I just won an auction last night for one of these.
Seems that everyone has a different area(shade, sun, etc) to where they planted them.
Will be interesting to hear how all of yours are doing in the future.
I think that mine will be going into a sunnier spot in a new bed.

My understanding is that the black lace loses much of its blackness when it is shaded. I will be interested to hear if that is true. Carmellia

Hooray I found one- (thanks for the thread Melissa). It's just what I needed for a burgundy accent next to my paniculata hydrangea 'Little Lamb'. This one looks fairly green yet so we will see if the sunny site can blacken it up a bit. It reminds me of my black cimicifuga.

Nettie

Where did you find one? I've been looking at the nurseries by home and haven't had any luck. I hope to check out some nurseries up by the cabin next week. I have a nice sunny spot waiting for a Black Lace Elderberry!

Sandy

Has anyone tried alternating the "Black Lace" with the "Southern Gold" to make a hedge? I think the alternating yellow/black might look spectacular.

I got my elderberry last year at Linder's in St. Paul. It grows in a lot of sun and came up slowly this spring. It is beautiful, but needs more room to grow so I will get it replanted next spring--after I research it and find out how much space it will need. Mary

I seem to recall seeing this elderberry recently at Lynde's in Maple Grove.

I planted one in summer 2006, in a part-shaded area (about 4 hr sun in spring and summer, but few sun after Sept.) Some die-back, but not bad. The foliage is blackish and pretty, but branches are rather sparse. Currently it is only about 2ft wide about 3ft tall. Would a sunnier site make the plant fuller?

Saw some last week at Lyndes Nursery in Maple Grove- half price, actually all of their growing Things are half off.

I got one last year and was thinking I'd wasted the money because it looked completely dead this spring.

I grabbed hold of it to pull it out of the ground and realized that within the last couple days, it put out a shoot!

So, it's staying. But when they say "dies back to the ground" they really do mean it!

Same for me.
Died back to the ground. This despite a winter-long coating of snow for insulation.

But there indeed is some growth happening right at the base of the plant

Melissa

Mine as well. Died right back to the ground, but now has plenty of new growth that's almost a foot tall. I would consider it a "woody perennial." I still love the plant.

Had new growth on one old branch about 6in out from base, rest is all from base of plant.

Paul

Our landscape advisor is trying to talk me out of putting an Elderberry Black Lace at a most-prominent corner of our house, to be an anchor plant. She says they haven't had good luck with them, and suggests a Ninebark instead. The Ninebark are nice - but the Black Lace looks amazing! I'd much rather use it, if I had good hope that it would do well. I'm ~60 miles south of Minneapolis-St. Paul.

So, I'd appreciate any thoughts. Has your Black Lace Elderberry achieved its mentioned full height of ~5 feet? If it dies back in winter, will it re-achieve that full height the next year? (I will likely buy a 1-gallon plant.) Is there a best time of year to plant it?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Rose

Rose,

My BLE is only about 2 1/2 feet tall in it's second year. It did die completely back to the ground and it was June before I saw it even 1 foot tall.

So, if you consider that it'd die completely back in November and not be so visible till June, that's 7-8 months with nothing at the corner of your house.

If you really want to use it, I wouldn't put it in such a prominent place.

Melissa

Mine did not completely die back but it hasn't put on much growth this summer, probably about 2 ft high. I agree with Melissa, not one I would want in such a prominent position.

Just thought I'd revive this thread to share that now, 8 years after the original plantings, this thing is a monster.

It only died to the ground that first year. Every year since, it has put out new growth on old wood.

Last spring, when it was becoming unruly, I cut it back to the ground. It regrew 7-foot long shoots last year, that are sending out new growth on those old shoots again this year.

I'm now considering trying to grow the thing as a small tree. Will start another thread on that subject though!

Mine still dies back to the ground in the winter and doesn't do much more than a foot or two of growth in the summer- a real dud for me.

I planted 7 bushes around 7 years ago. This first three years they did will with plenty of blossoms from year 2. Never any fruit. In year 4 I started to lose branches mid growth season. They suddenly wilted and died for no apparent reason. By year 5 I had to remove 3 of them and by year 7 I only have 2 left.

Big disappointment,

Zone 5 Chicago area.

Don't know if anyone is still interested in this thread but here is a picture of mine, it's about 5/6 years old now. I have to cut it back quite a lot several times a year to keep it this size. I live in the Detroit, Mich area and we are zone 5 bordering on 6, except the last 2 Winters have been very cold. It's a gorgeous anchor plant. It's on the Northwest corner of my house.