Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Shrub/Tree ID & Maintenance

MrsBeeKeeperMrsBeeKeeper Posts: 9
in Plants
Long time lurker looking for a bit of advice... 
I'm assuming this is some kind of Sambucus. I cut out all the dead wood 3 weeks ago (except the bit with the bird feeder attached) and now she's looking lovely but man she is BIG! Do you think she's gonna get much bigger? Should I think about lopping the top off, if so when or just leave her be?
Not really sure what I'm looking to achieve if I'm honest. The wintersweet in the back garden is just as big and everything just looks out of proportion
Thank you in advance much appreciated.








Posts

  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    The yellowish/white conical flower-heads and the cut leaved golden foliage indicate (to me anyway :)) that what you have there is Sambucus racemosa 'Plumosa Aurea' .

    If I am correct , like many Elders , it would respond well to careful pruning .
    Maybe someone else will have other ideas ?
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    It is Sambucus rac. 'Plumosa  Aurea' . I had one which had grown into a tree about 10 years ago. I couldn't cope with the size and reduced it to a height of 6ft over 3 years, it is now an attractive, manageable shrub (as the new growth starts low down )albeit with an old gnarled trunk around which I grow Parthenocissus 'Henryana' it looks very attractive.
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    I prune my black elder down to about 1m high every spring and by August it’s about 2.5m tall again and usually gets to about 3m by the end of the season. I usually end up pruning back any especially long and unwanted branches in August to keep it all to a large shrub size.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • MrsBeeKeeperMrsBeeKeeper Posts: 9
    Thanks all! I've got a Rowan tree at the front as well so I'll let that catch up this year and then prune the Sambucus down to try and get the balance right.
Sign In or Register to comment.