Sambucus nigra Luteovariegata - Elder

Sambucus nigra 'Luteovariegata' is a form of the black elderberry with yellow variegated foliage, rare in cultivation. It is a beautiful deciduous bush adorned with large compound leaves, the leaflets of which are irregularly edged with yellow on a green background. This elegant foliage forms a beautiful backdrop for its creamy white flowering in late spring. The flowers are followed by small berries that are initially red and then turn black, which are consumed by birds. Incorporate this elderberry into a bocage hedge, it will bring life to your garden while providing shelter and food for many interesting species for the ecological balance of the garden.

Sambucus nigra 'Luteovariegata' has an open and rounded habit and reaches approximately 5m in all directions, depending on the growing conditions. It belongs to the Adoxaceae, Viburnaceae, or Caprifoliaceae family, depending on the classification. The wild species with green foliage is widespread in Europe, North Africa, and as far as Asia Minor. It is an opportunistic and highly adaptable plant, found in open woods, hedges, fallow land, coastal dunes, and even near human settlements, with which it has coexisted for millennia. Therefore, it is an undemanding shrub that is easy to grow anywhere.

The 'Luteovariegata' black elderberry is a variegated mutation of this species. Its leaves measure about 30 cm long and are composed of 5 to 7 leaflets, which are ovate, pointed, and toothed. Their leaf is randomly bordered by yellow to cream tones around a green central area. The flowering, which is nectar-rich and honey-producing, occurs between May and June, depending on the climate. The flowers in large corymbs of 10 to 20 cm have 5 stamens and 5 cream-white petals. The fruits are in the form of a cluster of berries measuring 6 to 8 mm, initially red and then violet-black, and are carried by a bright red pedicel. The bark is light green, then brown-grey, cracked, fissured, covered with lenticels, and becomes spongy with age.

Sambucus nigra 'Luteovariegata' can be planted in any soil that is not too poor, even limestone, sufficiently deep, and not too dry in summer. This shrub requires little maintenance. It is an excellent informal hedge shrub, easy to integrate into a mass of flowering shrubs in spring or summer. Associate it with other countryside species such as the guelder rose, the German medlar (Mespilus germanica), bloodtwig dogwood, and purple hazel, for example.