Can you please help with small tree ID

[jandals]

Would anyone know what's the name of this small tree
Cheers Steve

[vivienr]

Hi Steve - it's a purple-leaved elder, sambucus nigra.
There are a lot of cultivars but I don't know them well enough to say what that one might be.

[Maggi Young]

I'm with Vivien, Steve - also no idea of the cultivar but it looks a fine form - I believe that you can make Elderberry champagne off the purple ones as well as the white ones....... ( can't imagine why I mention that........)

[jandals]

Thank you both . Nice to have a name for the pics

[zephirine]

it looks very much like my own Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace'...

[Maggi Young]

A very nice form, Zephirine - do you think it would be happy to be kept to a certain size by pruning ?

[zephirine]

Yes indeed, Maggi.
It's not a very large form, anyway. Even though a few links say it could reach 6m in height (18'), most other serious ones say it reaches only 1,5 to 2,5 m (5 to 8'), and that's what I believe. Mine was planted in 2008, and is somewhere under 2m(6') high. It doesn't seem to be growing significantly any more...

[Maggi Young]

Thank you, Zephirine.

[Anthony Darby]

Our neighbour in Dunblane had one in his front garden. His parents used to visit and do some gardening. They invariably pruned it right down so it never flowered.