Sambucus nigra 'Golden Spark' 19 cm

Sambucus nigra ‘Golden Spark’ is a fast-growing, deciduous elder valued for its bright yellow foliage that brings luminous contrast to borders and informal screening. Flat clusters of small white flowers typically appear in early summer, and the shrub performs best in full sun (for the strongest leaf colour) but will tolerate light shade. It is easy-going in most moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soils, including chalk, and is fully hardy across Ireland. For a compact habit and fresh, colourful shoots, prune in late winter or early spring as needed.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Full sun to light shade

Rate of Growth: Fast

Soil: Moist but well-drained, moderately fertile; most soils including chalk

Hardiness: Fully hardy in Ireland

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Plant at a Glance