Elderberries are not really edible raw, so I would only recommend them if you are really looking for something that takes care of itself and fruits abundantly AND you like processing berries into things like jelly as nod mentioned already. Even processed, the numerous seeds and/or musky flavor can be problematic for things like pie though.

i had one at my first house... un named ... no history .. etc ... could had been a rogue seedling at some point in its life ....

most vile tasting thing you could stick in your mouth ...

and once it got going a major huge.. ugly .... bush ... keep in mind.. while carving out your new lawn ... that growing fruit.. can be aesthetically pleasing ... there are a lot of things.. that wont end up ugly ... see link for size potential ...

as i had no interest in jelly or wine making.. it died ... mysteriously .. one weekend ... when i took off after it with a shovel and ax ... well??? .. not really much mystery there.. lol ..

ken

Two different variegated species. I have both. These are not my plants though. Mine are new and very small.

Black Lace

It's my favorite, it looks like it is flowering from far away. Looks like white flowers. It's the whitest variegation I have seen. Some dogwoods and beeches though also have very cool variegation. Even though I like elderberries. if it was my first fruit tree in TX. I would probably go with something else. Elderberry is more a secondary fruit to me.
I would plant peach or plum, or whatever grows good locally in your area.

I can't remember where I got the Black Lace? I have bought from dozens of nurseries. I can name a few that have it.
Joy Creek Nursery has it. I got the variegated elders from there.
Raintree Nursery has it
Forestfarm at Pacifica has it.
Burnt Ridge Nursery has it also.

Another photo of Sambucus nigra 'Pulverulenta'

They can definitely get big. By 4th leaf, my Samdal was 12' tall by 12' wide. I've done some major pruning since then- probably too much as there was very little harvest from it this year.

Black Lace berries to me taste the same but it is a low producer. Many people here grow the American elderberry, I have mostly the European. I'm not sure of the taste difference as I have not had any berries from the American species. Actually in America we have 2 native species that are consumed, three if you count the wine made from the reds. The cutivar "Marge" is a cross of American and European species.
The three species are:
Sambucus nigra (European)
Sambucus canadensis (USA)
Sambucus caerulea (USA)

I also grow a yellow fruited nigra, but have not tasted berries yet. It should have some next year. The cultivar is "Goldbeere" it is from Germany.

You shoud try making tea with the flowers, it's awesome!

Black Lace can be stubburn to flower, and it should flower if you have another bush or not. It may not fruit without a 2nd bush. I would try Black Beauty, Laciniata or Emerald Lace. You need another cultivar for fruit, not the same one.
When I think about it Nigra species is somewhat self fruitful, so you don't need a 2nd bush although a 2nd bush would make them produce more fruit. It's canadensis that is not self fruitful. If you want fruit though best to grow one meant for fruit. Bob mentioned he has Samdal a nigra species that fruits very well. Samyl fruits even better! Both can be obtained from Nourse Farms. I would get that for fruit. Lace and the others are not really great producers as you are finding out. Well some of the ornamentals produce OK Emerald Lace produces fairly well.
I like the variegated species, but they too are not grown for fruit as much and require some shade.
The really white one Sambucus nigra 'Pulverulenta' is tough to grow. I lost one this year due to the extreme winter. I replaced it this spring. I just like it so much, I'm still trying to figure out how to grow it well.
Now the other variegated species Sambucus nigra 'Albovariegata' grows like a weed, but is susceptable to fungal disease, it needs to be sprayed.
It is also a very handsome plant. Mine is getting big! I grow them at my cottage as I have low light there and am trying to find low light plants that are edible. it has been a difficult challenge. Cornus Mas though grows well there, and so I have a couple cultivars of that up there.

Molly I would try feeding your bush with Holly-Tone. The PH might be too high, and the complete nutrition of Holly-Tone may help if maybe it is a lack of a micro-nutrient.
Holly-Tone has sulfur and will lower PH slightly over time.
Adding iron might help too. Elders like a PH of around 6.0
A soil test could help determine the problem. Sometimes in low light they will not fruit.
.

As plants, they are easy to grow, but they are unruly.....spreading into a thicket. The fruits are tedious to harvest as well. On the plus side, IMO, is that they flower for about 6 weeks, and the birds like the fruit, but there is so much that you still get a lot.

Alex