Pacific Northwest Garden Forum: Sambucus nigra drowning?

Message

   Last year I planted a Sambucus nigra Gerdas Black Beauty in our bog area and just a few days ago noticed it's dying-everything drooping.  I dug a drainage ditch in an attempt to drain the area, but it keeps raining!  This plant had everything I wanted for this spot I thought-8' tall eventually to block out the neighbors, berries for birds, nice color, and I thought it could tolerate standing water most of the year.  Until a week ago, it was thriving with buds galore just starting to bloom.  Now the buds and leaves are all just hanging down from the branches.  Will it bounce back if it ever dries out, do you think?  If it does die, what type of shrub could replace it for a screen from neighbors, attractive to birds as a food source, and likes standing water 9-10 months of the year?  Good fall color would be a plus too.  I'm trying to embrace my bog now by planting sedges, rushes, various grasses and marshy stuff.  Winterberry planted last year too seems to be doing just fine here.

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

Skagit gardener

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glassier Rainy Side Gardener Joined: Jun-04-2010 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 14	Topic: Sambucus nigra drowning? Posted: Jun-04-2010 at 11:50am
	Last year I planted a Sambucus nigra Gerdas Black Beauty in our bog area and just a few days ago noticed it's dying-everything drooping. I dug a drainage ditch in an attempt to drain the area, but it keeps raining! This plant had everything I wanted for this spot I thought-8' tall eventually to block out the neighbors, berries for birds, nice color, and I thought it could tolerate standing water most of the year. Until a week ago, it was thriving with buds galore just starting to bloom. Now the buds and leaves are all just hanging down from the branches. Will it bounce back if it ever dries out, do you think? If it does die, what type of shrub could replace it for a screen from neighbors, attractive to birds as a food source, and likes standing water 9-10 months of the year? Good fall color would be a plus too. I'm trying to embrace my bog now by planting sedges, rushes, various grasses and marshy stuff. Winterberry planted last year too seems to be doing just fine here. Thanks for the help and suggestions. Skagit gardener

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JeanneK Mod Joined: Jul-28-2003 Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Posts: 2178	Posted: Jun-07-2010 at 10:03am
	Hi Glassier, welcome to Rainyside Gardeners! Great Plant Picks states that Purpleleaf black elder grows best in well-drained, humus-rich, fertile, moist soil. So, you may be right. If you have clay soil, your 'Black Beauty' may be getting too much water. It's not draining enough. I think your ditch is a good idea. Maybe you should just watch it for a couple more weeks and see if it recovers. Good luck!
	Jeanne
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glassier Rainy Side Gardener Joined: Jun-04-2010 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 14	Posted: Jun-08-2010 at 10:46am
	Thanks! It's so hard to wait and see. The nursery I got it from was surprised as they said they grow in the wild in wet areas. Today is dry, then two days of rain followed by a long dry spell-if the weather forecast holds. I've considered transplanting it, but fear that would shock and kill it off for sure. No good place to transplant to anyway. No leaves have actually dropped off yet, though I expect they will. So long as they are replaced by baby leaves I'll count myself lucky even without any berries this year. Glassier
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Fern Rainy Side Gardener Joined: Mar-11-2005 Location: Washington, Western Cascade Foothills Posts: 1513	Posted: Jun-11-2010 at 10:59pm
	It has been a challenging year. Other plants that normally would be ok are suffering too. It might be ok in a normal year with less rain, if it can survive this year. It is a beautiful plant. If it doesn't make it, maybe try a red or yellow twigged Dogwood.
	Fern
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Lisa A Rainy Side Gardener Joined: Aug-14-2003 Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Posts: 3628	Posted: Jun-14-2010 at 4:53pm
	I echo what Fern wrote: plants that are normally okay are suffering. My Disanthus leafed out and then shriveled up. Ditto for my Corylopsis pauciflora. It bloomed wonderfully in March, too. And one of my dogwoods (Cornus kousa) is looking very ill. It's a puzzler because everything else around these three is doing fine. I'm hoping that once our weather dries out (please, please, please), all three will return to good health and no permanent harm will have been done. Glassier, two other natives to consider are twinberry (Lonicera involucrata)(Lonicera involucrata) and Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus).
	Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. - Lou Erickson. My webpage
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glassier Rainy Side Gardener Joined: Jun-04-2010 Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor Posts: 14	Posted: Aug-14-2010 at 9:54pm
	We ended up raising it about 8 inches to try to save it. I've noticed some bushy new growth at the base in the raised bed (same location) and the rest is very scraggly. I'll see how it does next spring and then decided whether to cut it down to just the new growth at the base. Thanks for the suggestions Lisa! I did consider the twinberry and ninebark-I like both-but hate to yank something that kept showing meager signs of life. I think the raised bed did the trick and I won't care if it rains and rains now. Great!
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