Black elderberry
Sambucus nigra
Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a shrub suited to the Colorado Front Range. It matures to about 8–12 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide, needs medium water, and prefers full sun to part. Black-purple cut-leaf foliage in named cultivars + pink/white flat flower heads. Edible cooked berries.
medium water8–12 ft tall and 6–10 ft wideDeer-resistant
Photos
At a glance
- Botanical name
- Sambucus nigra
- Variety / cultivar
- 'Black Lace', 'Black Beauty'
- Type
- Shrub
- Mature size
- 8–12 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide
- Water needs
- medium water
- Sun
- full sun to part
- Colorado native
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Soil
- clay, loam
- Soil pH
- 6.0–7.5
- Hail tolerance
- moderate
- Wind tolerance
- moderate
- Salt tolerance
- low
- Bloom color
- pink, white
- Bloom time
- early summer
- Pollinator value
- high
Frequently asked questions
- Is Black elderberry good for the Colorado Front Range?
- Yes. Black elderberry is included in the Front Range Plant Finder as a shrub suited to Colorado's Front Range.
- How big does Black elderberry get?
- It matures to about 8–12 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide.
- How much water does Black elderberry need?
- It needs medium water once established.
- Is Black elderberry native to Colorado?
- No — it is not a Colorado native, but it grows well on the Front Range.
