V. trilobum needs moist soils. Either species, multistemmed shrub eight to 12 feet high and wide. There are plenty of smaller cultivars for both. We won't guarantee it, but chances are you can have something blooming at Christmas. There's a lot of variation in bloom time from one H. niger to another.
Old foliage begins to looks shabby as new leaves come in.
Prefers neutral to alkaline soils but does just fine in acid soils. Water well from spring to midsummer, then allow it a dry period in late summer, if you can. You probably know well the dwarf, shrubby forms of Japanese maple and how some of the cultivars can turn into iridescent umbrellas in the spring and fall. But its naked form can also be a stunning sculpture in the winter garden. Bare but beautiful.