PSC 2620: Woody Trees and Shrub

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Week 2

Physocarpus opulifolius - Ninebark

Plant Viewer

The large leaves are serrated and deeply lobed. They are arranged alternately on the stem.	The stems are typically a light brown or cinnamon color and exfoliate in strips.
Umbels of white flowers emerge in the late spring and are quite showy, especially on the red-leaved varieties.	Once the blossoms are spent, clusters of shiny red fruit appear and persists into winter.

Plant Description

Physocarpus opulifolius, or Ninebark, is an extremely hardy, large (up to 10 feet tall and wide) deciduous shrub with a natural cascading form that becomes rounded with maturity. The bark is light brown to cinnamon in color and exfoliates in strands on older stems, providing good appeal in the winter. Ninebark will withstand extreme cold and nearly all types of soil conditions and is very drought tolerant once established.

Large, deeply lobed and serrated leaves give the plant a coarse texture in the landscape which is contrasted by the light and airy look of the clustered blossoms. The leaves are arranged alternately on the stem, and can be up to 5 inches long.

Flowering occurs in corymbs (rounded or flat-topped clusters of blossoms) of white or very pale pink blossoms. These occur during the summer and are followed by clusters of red berries in late fall.

Landscape Use

Because of its drought tolerance, Physocarpus opulifolius is an excellent choice for dry locations. It is suitable in mass plantings or as a hedge. It can also be used as an accent plant in a shrub border, especially the purple or yellow cultivars.

Points of interest

Ninebark is said to have earned its name from its exfoliating bark, from which emerged the belief that it had nine layers of bark.

Notable Cultivars

Diablo: Almost true purple foliage, with a dark purple on the top of the leaf and a gray-green shade on the bottom side. Flowers are white with a pink overcast. Grows to 8 feet tall and wide.

Summer Wine: A very popular smaller (5 feet high and wide) variety of Ninebark with deeply lobed dark red foliage and pinkish-white blossoms.

Snowfall: A green-leaved cultivar with bright white blossoms. The form is more spreading and cascading than other varieties, with a mature height of 6 feet and a width of up to 10 feet.

Dart's Gold: Spring foliage appears bright yellow before fading to lime green in the summer. White blossoms appear on the plant but are not nearly as noticeable against the yellow foliage. Grows 5 feet high and wide.