More advice on elderberrys please.. kay?? whiskey?? anybody :)

[tinkster]

I orderd the black beauty and the southerland gold.  Doing research now to see what conditions they like the best and am getting very conflicting on the gold.  Some say shade to part shade, other say sun gives it best color but its hard to grow in sun.  I was going to put them both to the back on my fence line  and give up on keeping them pruned and just let them ramble, but would like to keep them together so if the black needs full sun to be pretty and the gold need shade then my plan is not gonna work but all the pictures show them together.

Can I place the black one so that it offers some shade to the yellow one maybe?  Or do you think the gold would be okay in full sun?  I am gonna have to figure a way to make the ground moist.  maybe line it with a big bucket with holes to help hold the water as they said they both must have moist soil..

thanks for any info!

tinkster

[CT]

The Southerland Gold that I bought is pretty touchy. It didn't like the recent frost here and defoliated. The Black Lace did really well. I have both of mine planted where they will get early morning sun, late afternoon shade, more shade for the gold than the black. I think the gold would appreciate a bit of shade if you have a hot summer. It might benefit them in the summer time to run a soaker hose on a timer with a good mulch over it if you can.

[whis4ey]

I won't comment on sun/shade as your varied temperatures and sun strength in America is totally unknown to me
However .. they might like moist soil, but surely not wet?
Be careful not to give them too wet a bed to grow in
My own are in what was a wet enough bed, but I raised the soil level by about 6 inches with top soil and my own compost, and both of my Sambucas seem to like it a lot.  The moisture is there for them, but their feet are not in it

[patsy]

Tink,
 If hope this can help.  I live in northwest Montana and have both black and yellow sambucus. I have had Southerland Gold for about quite a few years now. When I planted it I wasn't aware that it would suffer in the hot sun so I put it where it gets a lot of sun in the afternoons. Until the weather gets hot it is strikingly beautiful, But it's
leaf edges do turn brown and suffer from the summer heat. So I would suggest that you try to find a place where has protection from the summer sun. 

Also, My newest baby that I just purchased, is a Nova Canadensis Elderberry for berries instead of beauty. They make delicious jam and I have never yet had a berry on my ornamentals, not so sure they do produce many berries. Ummm Can't wait!

Enjoy. Patsy
 

[tinkster]

Thanks much!  I will find a spot to give it some morning sun to try to keep its color prettier and not stress it so bad.  Was reading on the web a few comments that in the shade, it looks just like a green elderberry and I dont want that