Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Sambucus racemosa 'Sutherland Gold'
  • RHS AGM

European red elder 'Sutherland Gold'

'Sutherland Gold' is a medium-sized deciduous shrub with attractively dissected, bright golden-yellow, pinnate leaves. Small conical heads of creamy-white flowers followed by glossy red berries, seldom freely-borne

Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metres
Time to ultimate height
10–20 years
Ultimate spread
2.5–4 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Cream Yellow
Summer Yellow Red
Autumn Yellow
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

West–facing or East–facing or South–facing or North–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7
Botanical details
Family
Viburnaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Harmful if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus

Sambucus can be herbaceous perennials, deciduous shrubs or small trees, with pinnate leaves and umbels or panicles of small creamy-white flowers followed by red, white or black berries

Name status

Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Easy to grow in moderately fertile, humous rich, moist but well-drained soils and also thrives on extremely chalky sites. Susceptible to leaf scorch in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by softwood or hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Coastal
  • Low Maintenance
  • Hedging and screens
Pruning

Pruning group 1 or suitable for coppicing every 3 to 4 years. Tolerates hard size-restricting pruning

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and glasshouse red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to verticillium wilt and honey fungus

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.