An outstanding black elder with rich dark foliage and beautifully contrasting light pink flowers in early summer forming a large shrub or small tree sambucus nigra f porphyrophylla 39black beauty39 is a fantastic addition to mixed borders and works well with any colour scheme33 clusters of black elderberry fruits appear from late summer which are attractive to birds and other wildlife easy to grow and tolerant of most soils this deciduous shrub copes well with hard45pruning ma