A picture would be massively useful.

Elders like pretty good conditions as in moist fertile soil. Otherwise I have seen obvious honey fungus on the lower trunks of wild living native ones in my area that had a lot of top death. (The fungus attacks the root crown of targeted plants, resulting in the sections of top above dying).

Haven't tried any of the cultivated varieties, but the birds deposit the native species and it's vigorous grower in my yard with no TLC. Sandy soils with little irrigation.

Ken, I won't be dong anything with them until next season if even then. It's not in a priority spot, but I'm starting to think elderberries are not the carefree native I'd assumed. I will inspect and take a picture to determine if this is deer browsing. I do know I once lost every trace of a new purple sambucus to deer. I had stopped worrying about deer after putting up a fence two years ago, but at least one has managed to slip in.

If you've got deer, nothing is carefree; Lord, they are a PITA.

Wild elders are very hardy and robust. The cultivated ones are much less so. The most difficult for me to grow have been the fancy european varieties like the weeping, feathery, tower, and dark ones.

Hi Kitasei2,

I have a beautiful Black Lace that has impressed me, so this spring I bought a Lemony Lace for a back corner, thinking it could fill the space back there. But I’ve had a very dry summer and had also neglected this one. I have no leaves left, but there are plump buds. I’m going to drag a bucket of water out there but I figure I’ll wait until next spring to see what happens. For the spot it is in, its grow on your own or be dam*ed!

Here is Black Lace earlier this year