Sambucus Black Tower - Premium Black Elder
Overview
The Sambucus Black Tower is a striking ornamental elderberry cultivar that brings dramatic year-round interest to any garden. This compact, upright shrub combines the classic appeal of elderberry with distinctive dark purple-black foliage that creates a bold architectural statement in both formal and cottage garden settings.
Key Features
Botanical Name: Sambucus nigra 'Black Tower'
Common Names: Black Elder, European Elder, Black Tower Elderberry
Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
Mature Height: 1.0-2.5 metres
Mature Spread: 1-1.2 metres
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Distinctive Characteristics
Foliage
The standout feature of Black Tower is its deeply cut, pinnate leaves that emerge in rich burgundy tones before maturing to an intense purple-black. The foliage provides exceptional contrast against lighter plants and maintains its dramatic colouring throughout the growing season, making it an excellent choice for adding depth and sophistication to mixed borders.
Flowers and Fruit
In late spring to early summer, the dark foliage is complemented by large, creamy-white flower clusters (corymbs) that create a stunning contrast. These fragrant blooms are highly attractive to beneficial insects, particularly bees and butterflies. Following successful pollination, the flowers develop into clusters of small, dark purple-black berries that are beloved by wildlife and can be harvested for culinary use.
Seasonal Interest
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Spring: New burgundy foliage emerges with fresh vigour
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Summer: Dramatic dark leaves provide structure, followed by showy white flowers
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Autumn: Purple-black berries ripen, attracting birds and wildlife
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Winter: Attractive bare stems with interesting bark texture
Growing Requirements
Position and Aspect
Black Tower thrives in full sun to partial shade, though the deepest foliage colouration develops in sunnier positions. The plant is remarkably adaptable and will tolerate a range of light conditions, making it suitable for various garden situations.
Soil Conditions
This elderberry is exceptionally tolerant of different soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils. It prefers moist, well-draining conditions but will cope with occasional waterlogging and periods of drought once established. The ideal pH range is slightly acidic to neutral (6.0-7.0), though it will adapt to slightly alkaline conditions.
Climate Tolerance
Fully hardy in the UK (RHS Hardiness H6), Black Tower withstands temperatures down to -20°C. It's suitable for coastal gardens as it tolerates salt spray and windy conditions reasonably well.
Planting and Care
Planting
Plant in autumn or early spring when the soil is workable. Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and the same depth. Incorporate well-rotted compost or manure into the planting hole. Water thoroughly after planting and apply a 5-7cm mulch around the base, keeping it clear of the stem.
Ongoing Care
Black Tower is remarkably low-maintenance once established. Water regularly during the first growing season to encourage strong root development. In subsequent years, supplemental watering is only necessary during prolonged dry periods.
Pruning
Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches. To maintain shape and encourage fresh growth, cut back up to one-third of the oldest stems to ground level each year. This coppicing approach promotes vigorous new shoots with the most intense foliage colour.
Feeding
Apply a balanced, slow-release fertiliser in early spring. A generous mulch of well-rotted compost or manure will provide ongoing nutrition and help retain soil moisture.
Design Applications
Garden Placement
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Mixed borders: Provides dramatic backdrop for lighter-coloured perennials and annuals
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Woodland gardens: Excellent understory plant beneath larger trees
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Wildlife gardens: Attracts beneficial insects and provides food for birds
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Screens and hedging: Can be used informally to create privacy or define garden areas
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Container growing: Suitable for large containers on patios or terraces
Companion Plants
Pairs beautifully with silver-leaved plants such as artemisia, lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina), or lavender. Golden or lime-green foliage plants like golden privet or Alchemilla mollis create stunning contrasts. Spring bulbs naturalised beneath provide early season colour.
Practical Benefits
Beyond its ornamental value, Black Tower offers practical advantages. The flowers can be used to make elderflower cordial or wine, whilst the berries are rich in vitamins and can be processed into jams, jellies, or health tonics. The plant also provides excellent wildlife habitat, supporting biodiversity in the garden.
Maintenance Calendar
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March: Apply fertiliser and fresh mulch; undertake annual pruning
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May-June: Enjoy flowering display; deadhead if berry production isn't desired
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August-September: Harvest berries for culinary use
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October-November: Ideal planting time for new specimens
The Sambucus Black Tower is an outstanding choice for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance shrub that delivers maximum impact. Its combination of dramatic foliage, attractive flowers, useful fruit, and wildlife value makes it a truly multifunctional addition to any garden scheme.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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