Sambucus Plant

[cambourne7]

Hi All,

I had bought 3 Sambucus Plants having fallen for the leaves and the colour however failed to notice the height it get to(over 300cm)

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Trees+and+Shrubs/All+Trees+and+Shrubs/Sambucus+Plant+-+Black+Lace_254830.htm#254830

I want to keep this plant no more than 3 ft so any suggestions? Do i plant it and keep it trimmed or do i put them into pots?

This book suggests a hard prune each year.

http://www.suttons.co.uk/Gardening/Trees+and+Shrubs/All+Trees+and+Shrubs/Sambucus+Plant+-+Black+Lace_254830.htm#254830

Cam

[cambourne7]

[sunloving]

Hi Camborne, they are gorgeous aren't they,  basically they are elderberry trees in black. So you can keep it in a pot , but watering will be a chore, you can take out the leader shoots and force it out wards rather than upwards. Or I recon because the new growth is quite pliable that you could wall train to reduce it's footprint.
Saying this I've had one in a pot for three years and it flowers but it's not happy unless well watered. Good luck with them x sun loving

[ACE]

They are trees, not pot plants. But they can be hacked back whenever they get too big then they throw up a lot more fresh growth. If they are kept in pots I expect they would be tweeked so often the form and shape will be a bushy mess. We used to grow a golden hop up through ours, the contrast was spectacular.

[cambourne7]

Thanks all lots to consider !

[Tee Gee]

I find that a good pruning each year keeps it under control as you can see here




The four foot high fence behind it will give you some idea of scale

[Yorkshire Lass]

I have mine planted in the ground. I would have thought it would be too big to grow in a pot even with robust pruning.

[cambourne7]

Thanks all there so amazing although maybe 3 would be 2 much so might keep one and donate the other 2 :)