Sambucus nigra Aureomarginata - Black Elder

The Sambucus nigra 'Aureomarginata', a variegated common elder, combines bright foliage edged in yellow with white flowering followed by decorative black fruit. Its vigour, tolerance of a range of soils and ability to be cut back hard make it an excellent shrub for an informal hedge, elegant and bright. It is also grown for the nectar-rich quality of its flowers and its berries, which provide food. Invite this elder into your garden and it will offer shelter and food to numerous species that contribute to its ecological balance. 

Belonging to the Adoxaceae family, Sambucus nigra is a Eurasian and North African species found on woodland edges, in hedgerows, waste ground and along riverbanks. The cultivar 'Aureomarginata' is characterised by its distinctly yellow to cream-variegated leaves on a green background. The synonyms 'Marginata' and 'Variegata' are sometimes encountered in the trade.
It is a large shrub with a bushy, rounded and spreading habit, several stems and rapid growth. It reaches 2.50 m to 3 m in height and spread after 10 years, depending on the soil and climate; some older specimens exceed these dimensions. Annual growth is around 30 to 45 cm per year. The young shoots bear prominent lenticels, while the bark becomes fissured with age. The plant can sucker at the base and, if left unchecked, form a large, broad clump. The foliage is deciduous, opposite and compound, with 5–7(9) leaflets that are oval to elliptical, with toothed margins; each leaflet measures 4 to 12 cm in length. In 'Aureomarginata', the yellow margins fade to cream-yellow in summer. This variegated elder should not be confused with S. nigra 'Luteovariegata', a similar cultivar with a distinctly yellow (golden) margin, particularly at the beginning of the season, whereas 'Aureomarginata' retains a more stable cream margin in summer.
Flowering takes place from May to June in large, flat corymbs measuring 12 to 20 cm in diameter, cream-white and with a subtle musky fragrance, which are much visited by insects. The resulting fruits are globose berries measuring 6–8 mm, green at first and then purplish-black, ripening from August to September; edible when cooked, they are used to make syrups, jellies and wine.
This shrub is hardy to around −23 °C. The plant prefers sunny to partially shaded positions and fertile, humus-rich, moist soil, but tolerates chalky soil well and can withstand temporary periods of drought once established. 

Sambucus nigra 'Aureomarginata' can be planted in any reasonably fertile, deep soil, including chalky soil, even if it becomes slightly dry in summer. This shrub requires little care. It is a beautiful shrub for an informal hedge or a large naturalistic bed. For example, pair it with common lilac Syringa vulgaris 'Michel Buchner', mock orange Philadelphus 'Virginal', guelder rose Viburnum opulus 'Roseum'  and border forsythia Forsythia intermedia 'Spectabilis'. Alternate these varieties along a length of 8–10 m and plant them in a staggered arrangement; you will create a dense, lively and colourful screen from spring to autumn. 

In Europe, elder stems with pith were traditionally cut to make whistles and flutes for children, a custom that gave this plant its vernacular name, linked to the instrument.