Thank you Molly & marquest. I may decide to plant them by my hibiscus in the middle of my rose garden. And, if I want some more, it's nice to know they are easy to root (expensive to buy). (Funny about that, marquest, I discovered by accident that hibiscus can be divided like a perennial! I think of them as shrubs and I didn't think shrubs could be divided- I was moving mine and I thought I had killed it for sure when the rooted section broke in two, instead I got 2 plants!) Brandyray

Depending on where you look, they are supposedly hardy to Zone 4/5, so I don't know if it would die back to the ground per se. The fact that they are recommended as an alternate to Japanese Maples for those who have difficulty growing JMs due to hardiness issues, is another clue as to potential hardiness. There was an interesting thread on the Far North Forum about these and their hardiness, including first hand results (noting that Canadian Zone numbers start with "0" and thus Zone 3 there = Zone 2 here).

You'll need to purchase or start plants from cuttings if you wish to get what you see :) True patent name is Sambucus nigra 'Eva'..."Black Lace" is only the trademark name. I have the common species Sambucus nigra ssp. cuerulea (Aka S. mexicana)...Blue Elderberry if you want to try some seeds for this one. Berries are edible and used in jams, pies, etc. Let me know at la_raspberry@yahoo.com

Hi northspruce, Here it is! At the forefront, you have the Sambucus nigra laciniata, which is the dark green one. Even though the lighting condition makes it look a bit darker or even bronze-like in the photo here, it really is a nice dark green. The golden yellow one is Sambucus racemosa "Morden Golden Glow". At the far end, you have Sambucus nigra "Black Lace". Of the three, I love the Black Lace the most, because of the foliage colour and form. The Laciniata is nice too, but not as eye-catching as the Black Lace. As for the Morden Golden Glow, even though this is an east facing area, it has some leaf burn already - perhaps it needs more water than it gets right now as a younger shrub. Anyway, I hope this helps! If you need a close-up, let me know! :-)