Sambucus nigra 'Sanivalk' INSTANT KARMA

Aren’t the breeders krafty, I often say to myself. Take European elder, for instance. This omnipresent shrub grows anywhere, without any maintenance and the more you prune it the thicker it gets. Well, what a promising start for cultivation, someone said. And here we are! So forget about the common weed of our countryside and dive in the world of SAMBUCUS, the world of colours, shapes and sizes that, with 10 different varieties, could well do for one complete garden.

INSTANT KARMA is a unique variety of European elder, found as a natural mutation in England in 2013. It produces variegated leaves with thin, soft yellow margins when young, maturing to almost white in summer. In late spring appear flattened panicles of white flowers which are followed by edible berries in late summer if pollinated by another elder. INSTANT KARMA exhibits medium vigour and makes a shrub about 2.5 tall and wide. Patented as PP28314 in 2015.

Elder tolerates wide ranges of soil except waterlogged, and will be happy of almost any location. This variety grows quite neat and keeps its shape even without pruning but you can always gain a denser plant by early spring pruning. You can cut back anything from 1/3 to 2/3 of previous year’s growth but after hard pruning it will flower less. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4)

Last update 12-02-2018