Sambucus nigra porphyrophylla 39black tower39 has the most wonderfully deep dark dense and compact foliage and with its upright habit makes it a great elder for small gardens sambucus is a great specimen plant too as it has the most unusual flattened heads of fragrant pink flowers which are replaced with shiny black elderberries in autumn these berries contrast splendidly with the large dark leaves which at first emerge a lovely green but soon change to the distinctly dark burgund