Sambucus nigra Instant Karma® (Elderberry)

Brightening the garden, Sambucus nigra Instant Karma® (Elderberry) is a deciduous shrub clothed in a lush, lacy foliage of variegated leaves from spring to fall. The blue-green leaves are adorned with a neat leaf margin that starts out gold in spring and changes to creamy white as the season progresses. In early summer, a profusion of large clusters packed with lemon-scented, white flowers are on display. They contrast nicely with the foliage and give way to edible purple-black berries later in the season. Tough and adaptable, this is a luminous shrub for the back of mixed borders, hedges or screens.

• Grows up to 6-8 ft. tall and wide (180-240 cm). Spreads freely by self-seeding and by root suckers to form colonies.
• Performs best in full sun or part shade, in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soils. Best foliage color when grown in full sun. Drought tolerant.
• Excellent choice as a single specimen plant, informal screens or hedges.
• May be subject to verticillium wilt and aphids. Deer resistant.
• Propagate by softwood cuttings in early summer or hardwood cuttings in winter.
• Elderberries look great unpruned, but they take well to pruning too. They are best pruned after blooming, although if you are growing it primarily as a foliage plant, it can be pruned in early spring.
• Sambucus nigra contains cyanide-inducing glycosides, primarily in its leaves, roots, seeds, and stems, making it moderately toxic to humans if ingested. Consumption of these parts can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and general malaise. While the ripe berries are generally considered safe when cooked, eating raw or improperly prepared parts of the plant can lead to poisoning. Sambucus nigra does not cause contact dermatitis, but ingestion of its toxic parts should be avoided.
• Elderflowers vs Elderberries: Uses, Safety & When to Harvest

Elderberries belong to the Sambucus genus in the Adoxaceae family, which includes about 5 to 10 species (plus several subspecies and varieties). The most popular are Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra), Red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), Blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. caerulea, also published as Sambucus cerulea), and American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis).