Common name:Cutleaf American Elder
Botanical name:Sambucus canadensis 'Laciniata'

‘Laciniata’ (synonymous with and also known as ‘Acutiloba’) grows to about 5 to 8 feet tall and wide (and wider). It has compound pinnate leaves that are deeply cut. Tiny lemon-scented white flowers appear in large flat-topped clusters in June. Flowers give way to clusters of black elderberry fruits in late summer. Fruits can be used to make jams, jellies, pie filings, and elderberry wine. Fruits are attractive to wildlife. American elder (Sambucus canadensis) and European elder (Sambucus nigra) are closely related plants. The Royal Horticultural Society currently lists American elder as Sambucus nigra var. canadensis.

Common name:English Ivy
Botanical name:Hedera helix cultivars

English Ivy is a self-clinging vine used as a groundcover or climbing vine. Though usually green, with lobed leaves, there are many varieties of ivy with variations in leaf size, shape, and color (some ivies have variegated leaves with margins or splotches of white, yellow, or red). All ivies are evergreen but not all are winter-hardy, so check the plant label. A bit slow to establish in our region, once it gets going it spreads quickly up walls, chain link fences, or over the ground. It is praised for its ability to cover an area quickly but loathed by others for the very same reason.

Common name:Variegated Dogwood
Botanical name:Cornus alba 'Elegantissima'

This dogwood has the same lovely red wood that is a standout in the winter garden, but with grey-green leaves with irregular creamy-white margins that gives it a luminous look. It grows about 6 to 8 feet tall, and forms a thicket of blood-red stems. White spring flowers form in clusters, followed by blue berries enjoyed by birds. Partners well with viburnums, hydrangeas, and snowberry. Use in shrub or foundation borders, or as an informal hedge.