Sambucus racemosa Lemony Lace - European Red Elder

Sambucus racemosa 'Lemony Lace' is a new variety of elderberry bush, remarkable for its bright yellow foliage and deeply incised, intensely bright appearance. The flowering clusters of white umbels occur in early spring, before the emergence of the red young shoots that unfurl into large lemon yellow plumes. The flowers give way in late summer to clusters of red berries, which are beautifully showcased by the now chartreuse foliage. This is a bush with moderate growth, easy to integrate into any garden, even small ones. Sunny, light, and graphic like a Japanese maple, but easy to grow in ordinary soil, it is truly superb and tolerates heat and sunny exposures quite well.

A very hardy wild species widespread in Europe, North Africa, and as far as Asia Minor, Sambucus racemosa or mountain elderberry is a deciduous shrub of the Caprifoliaceae family, just like honeysuckles, Weigela, and valerians.

The 'Lemony Lace' variety distinguishes itself by its slightly more modest growth and its original, remarkably architectural and colourful foliage. The plant has a bushy habit, pendulous branches, and forms a feathery, airy mass, reaching a height and width of up to 1.50m (5ft). This somewhat undefined habit and the flexible branches covered with extraordinary yellow and feathery foliage are the charm of this bush. Its growth is rapid. The deciduous leaves, opposite, with finely incised leaflets, toothed edges, 20cm (7.9in) long, almost fluorescent, are red-orange in bud, become bright yellow and remain so until early summer, then turn yellow-green in summer. Melliferous, its very early flowering in conical panicles of star-shaped creamy white flowers appears at the tip of the stems from the month of March. It is followed by the formation of clusters loaded with very decorative round and bright red berries, which are a delight for birds.

The 'Lemony Lace' Elderberry is a treasure for the garden. Not demanding about the nature of the soil, as long as it is well-drained, this variety prefers partial shade but tolerates more sun and heat than other yellow-foliaged varieties, such as 'Sutherland Gold' for example.  Plant it in a shrub border, preferably in the foreground, or near an entrance, a window, or along a pathway. You can also keep it in a large pot or container for many years by regularly pruning it to limit its growth. It can be associated, for example, with dark foliage plants (Physocarpus, Prunus, Berberis, Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'), 'Stanwell Perpetual' pimpernel roses, or viburnums. It also pairs well with autumn colours, in front of a screen of deciduous Euonymus, Cotinus, Hydrangea quercifolia, Parrotia persica...

In the garden:

Elderberry leaves are known to accelerate compost decomposition. Black elderberry leaf infusion proves useful in organic gardening to fight against mildew and attacks from aphids or rodents: macerate 1kg of leaves for a few days in 10L of water, and spray as needed. It can also be planted in an orchard, where it attracts insect-predating birds.