Ninebark offers 4 seasons of interest

By Kerry Mendez | July 4, 2015

Ninebark (Physocarpus) is a lovely, low-input, flowering shrub. What do I mean by input? Well, let’s start with how it relates to you. The shrubs needs little maintenance – or input – on your part. Sweet! Secondly, it needs little input in regards to water, fertilizer or pesticides. Double sweet! The only high input category it falls into is how prized it is by bees and butterflies for its nectar and pollen. Triple sweet – home run!

Physocarpus opufolius, native to much of Eastern North America, is the source for many common cultivars used in landscapes. Most ninebark have a graceful, vase-shaped habit. Foliage can be green, burgundy-brown, golden or amber. Button-shaped white or pinkish-white flowers appear in later spring and early summer. The flower buds are set on old wood, so if pruning is required, do so right after they finish blooming. Some popular selections include ‘Summer Wine’ (pictured) that has chocolate leaves and grows to four to five feet tall.

‘Nugget’ (photo courtesy of Spring Meadow Nursery) features shimming golden to lime green leaves and tops out between three and five feet.

‘Amber Jubilee’ (photo courtesy of Bailey Nursery) has to be one of the most brilliant specimens with leaves that range from bronze, gold, fiery orange, and scarlet. It grows five to six feet tall. And ‘Tiny Wine’ sets the record for the most petite ninebark, maxing out at three to four feet, with bronze-maroon foliage.

Another attraction of ninebark is their exfoliating bark, the reason for the common name suggesting nine layers of bark. The inner bark is a pleasing coppery-brown to reddish color. Ninebarks enjoy sun to part shade and are hardy in Zones 2 to 8.

Pictured below are some additional superstars!
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Proven Winners ‘Tiny Wine’