Hi,

I need some advice on planting an Elderberry (Elderberry - Black Lace (sambucus nigra 'black lace')) in partial shade; zone 5, northern Illinois near Lake Michigan. The area I would like to plant it gets about 2 hours of direct sunlight per day, maximum. The rest of the time it's in full shade, no dappled shade or anything like that. I am finding much contradictory information about how much sun an Elderberry needs; some say full sun, while others say a lot of shade is OK. Does anyone have any opinion on this? Also, would a Japanese Maple do well in that spot?

Thanks!