Sambucus 'Black Beauty' very green!

I just ordered two Sambucus 'Black Beauty' plants from two different reputable mail order nurseries (forgot I'd ordered it from the first one and ordered it again from a second!) Anyway, received both plants and the foliage is very, very unmistakeably green, not a touch of burgundy/dark foliage anywhere. I know that some dark foliaged plants can fade out over time or not be as colorful if they're kept in the shade, but I've read that BB is supposed to hold onto its color throughout the season so I don't think it's that. Obviously I have no idea how much sun/shade these were in at the nurseries, but I would have thought they should have had some color. Both these places are reputable nurseries, and they both mentioned the fact that the plant was patented, so I'm pretty certain it's the plant they said it was. Any ideas on why they're all green?

Mine look mostly green too. I don't think it likes our heat and humidity here because it looks all wilty. Not very impressed with mine.

This message was edited Sep 10, 2006 2:03 PM

Maybe it will color up in the spring like Husker Red penstemons do. They gradually revert to green. I know they aren't a shrub, but maybe with time?

I've seen others in displays at local nurseries that are still looking dark colored, so I don't think it's the weather or the time of year (although maybe it could be the weather at the nurseries I got them from--I think both were out east somewhere). I'll plant them and see how they do next year, but if they stay plain green next year too then they're out of here!

And get a refund!

I don't know about a refund--I'm confident that I got the plant I asked for and I wouldn't want to hold the nurseries I got it from responsible for the color not meeting my expectations based on the marketing I've seen for the plant, they're not the ones who patented it and introduced it. If I could get my money back from the people who introduced the plant I might try that though!

Same here!

I see and understand. I don't like to take advantage of that sort of situation either.

Dont worry folks, next season when the Black Beauty Sambucus comes into leaf, it will be black. The reason they are green right now is because the nurseries you got them from are growing them under shade cloth and above ground in containers...the heat alone being in containers is enough to turn them to green, but with the shade cloth added to it, they will for sure be green. We have the tree planted out this spring from an overwintered container that is black as black can be, and a 'green' Black Beauty purchased this August, that come next spring, will also be every bit as black as our first one.



This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 3:21 AM

This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 3:40 AM

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear! Guess I'll just wait until next year and see how they look!

Wonderful!

This is a picture of 'Black Lace'...

This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 3:41 AM

Well, heck now I realize we're talking about two different plants,,,I was thinking of 'Black Lace' not 'Black Beauty' when I originally posted! However the reason your 'Black Beauty' is green, is due to what i previously posted. If you want to enjoy a really black black Sambucus, look for this new introduction, 'Black Lace'. As you can see from the photo it really is black. Planted this past May, this is the plant I mentioned above that had over-wintered... our 'summer' purchased 'Black Lace' is currently green, due to the reasons i posted above. In the spring, your 'Black Beauty' will come out much 'blacker' than the green you are experiencing now.

This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 3:53 AM

Re: Black Lace. How much does it sucker and spread? What would be the proper spacing? I like the look.

That is pretty--I may have to get that one too!

That is so pretty! I tore out my common one because of the suckers. I'm still pulling a few sprouts. I did like it as a hedge tho.

This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 6:25 PM

For us, in southwest Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, Sambucus 'Black Beauty' grows very poorly for us, if at all. This is because of our heat and humidity,,,other spp of Sambucus do fine, but we have yet to see a good 'Black Beauty'. Mature specimens of 'Black Lace' do not appear to sucker in an aggressive way, if at all. My wife has some 'mature' Black Lace' pictures we took while visiting a nursery supplier this summer, that she'll post here in a bit...Nor does heat and humidity appear to effect 'Black Lace'.

I hope you are right about the black lace because I got one this past May also and it would do the same here as in Va. I love it so far...but when I posted on the trees and shrubs forum earlier this year..I was told not to get my hopes up. I think it likes cooler nights and less humidity than we have...worth trying however.

ecrane, I didn't think sambucus could be grown successfully beyond z8.

We have several different varieties that do well here in the SF Bay area, maybe it's because our summers aren't as hot? Most places in the country that are zone 9/10 are very hot and humid in the summer and maybe they don't do well there, but in my version of zone 9 we have almost no humidity and the avg summer high is in the mid to high 80's, and it always cools off considerably at night which may help too.

Mine is just about fried. I'm considering it a goner. I think I'll replace it with a "Henry's Garnet" sweetspire.

Hi,

I live in zone 7/8 and checked with the company that developed the Black Lace to see if it would do well in the TX heat. They confirmed that it will not retain its black color, but will revert to a faded version due to the heat, and this is the reason they said that they were not pushing this product in the south.

xman