Sambucus nigra Anatole - Elder

Sambucus nigra 'Anatole' is a beautiful form of the black elderberry with large, fresh green to golden foliage. The young leaves that appear in spring are lime green and as they mature, the irregular mosaic of two colours, dark green and yellow, becomes more pronounced. In early summer, it is adorned with large, fluffy white umbels, followed by edible black berries. This cultivar grows vigorously and forms a large, upright, wide and rounded bush. It blooms and fruits less than the species.

Sambucus nigra 'Anatole' is a plant belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family, just like honeysuckles. It is derived from Sambucus nigra, a wild species found in Europe, North Africa, and as far as Asia Minor. The black elderberry is an opportunistic and highly adaptable wild species, found in open woods, hedges, fallow land, coastal dunes, as well as near human settlements where it has coexisted for millennia. It is therefore an undemanding shrub that is easy to grow anywhere. The 'Anatole' form has an upright and rounded habit and reaches a height of 3 to 5 m with a width of 2 to 4 m, with fairly vigorous growth. Its foliage is particularly bright; its leaves are longer than those of the species, about 15 cm long. They are divided into many lemon-green leaflets in spring. In summer, the foliage alternates between dark green and light green. Flowering usually occurs in June (a little earlier or later depending on the climate), in the form of long-lasting false umbels, 10 to 20 cm wide. The small, fragrant white flowers, with 5 petals, are borne on reddish petioles. The edible and delicious fruits are black to purplish berries, with soft flesh, measuring 6 to 8 mm in diameter.

The 'Anatole' black elderberry is an excellent hedge shrub, to be protected from scorching sun that would damage its foliage. The light colour of the foliage makes the 'Anatole' elderberry perfect for colourful compositions or as a light background for smaller shrubs with dark green or purple foliage. You can also plant a row of elderberry varieties with different colours: from yellow to bicoloured and from dark green to dark burgundy. Like all elderberries, it is very hardy and easy to integrate into a spring or summer flowering shrub bed, such as lilacs, mock oranges, viburnums, or as a backdrop behind tall perennials (Gunnera, Ligularia, large ferns in moist soil) or along a pathway. You can also keep it in a large pot or container for many years.

In the kitchen: the flowers can be used to make fritters or syrup by macerating them in sugar. The flower buds can be used to enhance salads, and the berries can be consumed as juice, jellies or jams, or made into wine. They add a pleasant fragrance to apple cakes. Only the flowers and berries without their petioles are edible, the rest of the plant can be toxic.

In the garden:

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