An appealing shrub for gardeners looking for a plant with interesting and light coloured foliage to fill a gap in a large garden border sambucus racemosa 39sutherland gold39 or european red elder has bright yellow45green feathery lleaves that contrast wonderfully when planted alongside shrubs with dark green foliage this elder can grow fine in all types of soil but prefers it to be well drained and moist in late summer it will produce conical heads of creamy white flowers foll