I Am Going to Have to Replace This Shrub

 This Lemony Lace Elderberry is one of my favorite shrubs, but it is not happy here.  It is ding a long slow death. This is the second year that it has begun to languish, in late summer.  I suspect it may be as simple as the fact that the Maple tree is getting bigger and more dense, and when you combine that with the vigor of the grass directly to its east, it just isn't getting enough direct sun, especially later in the summer when the grass takes over.

This is what it looks like in its prime.  This photo was taken in June of last year.

Something that it began to do right after that, was wilt at the growth tips.

I've zoomed in so you can see the darkness of the new tips.  In 2025, it defoliated quite a bit in the late summer.  My other elderberry bushes displayed the same symptoms to a lesser extent.  In fact, a large Black Lace died completely last winter and I yanked that out in early May.  It appears to be some sort of verticillium wilt.  This spring, when it began to do it again, I mixed up some copper spray and sprayed it twice the first week, and then once a week for a few weeks after that.  This tip actually recovered and kept growing, and no other tips were affected.  I also preventatively sprayed the Instant Karma nearby and that one has done very well.  I thought I had it beat, but a few weeks ago it began to look stressed and then drop leaves.  It looks too dry, but this was during a cloudy, rainy period.  It also lost its beautiful bright color which is what makes me think it is not enough sun

Because I really like this shrub, I am going to try to save it.  I have a spot picked out for it and in the spring, while it is still dormant, I will prune it back and transplant it.  Now I am on the lookout for something to replace it.  I would like to keep the bright chartreuse color and there are a few shrubs that might work, but because I need something shorter and more shade tolerant I may go with a Carex or Hakonechloa.  There are several Sedges and Forest Grasses that come in bright gold.

Just another thing for next spring's Do Over List.