This shrub or small tree can be found growing wild just about everywhere in Britain, the fragrant, flat topped, cream flower heads appear in May and June followed by the purple-black berries in September. The flowers are used to make the delicately-perfumed elder flower champagne, whilst the berries are used for wine. It used to be said that if you had an elder tree in the garden you had a medicine chest, or even a larder! The pith of the stems is easily pushed out and whistles were made from the hollow stems, the belief being that the sweetest sounding ones were made from trees that grew aw ... Learn More

Seeds collected from the very best cultivars of the dark, narrow leaved forms of the fragrant-flowered elder such as 'Black Lace'. Seedlings will vary, with less than half having dark or very dark foliage, and pink or dark pink flowers. It is very important indeed to remember that many green seedlings will turn darker as the plants mature through the summer in their first year, so do not discard all green-leaved seedlings. ... Learn More

A generous packet of ready-stratified seeds from dark-leaved cultivars such as 'Black Beauty'. The leaves of these plants will vary a lot in colour from darkest purple through browns to green, and also in shape, from very finely divided ones to normal broad-leaved forms. Although less than half of these seedlings will have the darker leaves and more desirable pink, rather than white flowers, it is important to allow the plants to mature as the leaves often do not reveal their final colouring until the second year. ... Learn More

Bright red elder berries open in dazzling clusters amongst the finely-divided golden feathery foliage, and even in full sun the foliage of this superb and striking Elder will look luminous and healthy, completely resisting sun-scorch. These exceptional plants are long-lived, even making superb hedging plants up to 2 m tall! Few fertile seeds set. ... Learn More

White, fragrant spring flowers give way to dazzling, pendulous clumps of pillar-box red berries, which shine with great intensity. A great improvement on our own black-fruited elder and now you can make red elderberry wine! Collected on our Russian trip to Sakhalin (RBS0265). ... Learn More