Sambucus nigra 'Jdeboer001' GOLDEN TOWER

Aren’t the breeders krafty, I often say to myself. Take European elder, for instance. This omnipresent shrub grows anywhere, without any maintenance and the more you prune it the thicker it gets. Well, what a promising start for cultivation, someone said. And here we are! So forget about the common weed of our countryside and dive in the world of SAMBUCUS, the world of colours, shapes and sizes that, with 10 different varieties, could well do for one complete garden.

GOLDEN TOWER is a slender growing variety of European elder, a sister variety of BLACK TOWER, but this time with golden foliage. Its deciduous leaves emerge bright lime green and reach a vivid yellow green or almost golden yellow shade in full sun. They are deeply incised and perfectly soften the stiff, columnar habit of the shrub. In late spring appear flattened panicles of white flowers which are followed by edible berries in late summer.

Elder tolerates wide ranges of soil and will be happy of almost any location. This variety grows quite neat and keeps its shape even without pruning but you can always gain a denser plant by early spring pruning. You can cut back anything from 1/3 to 2/3 of previous year’s growth but after hard pruning it will flower less. Fully hardy to about -30°C (USDA zone 5), possibly more. It is suitable for growing in containers and outdoor pots all year round.

Last update 12-02-2018