Creamy white clusters of tiny flowers cover the shrub in midsummer. (Image: Prairie Moon)
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Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Plant This!
Information by Sarah DePasquale
Abstract
Hardy, adaptable shrubs are the stalwart heroes of the garden, creating structure and offering a backdrop for showy herbaceous perennials. But common ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius, steals the show in midsummer with its heady display of flower clusters that buzz with pollinator activity.
Ninebark shrub in peak bloom, displaying heavy clusters of pale pink flowers. (Image: Rotary Gardens)
Description
Ninebark is a 6-10 foot tall and wide native shrub that proves gorgeous garden plants don’t have to be fussy. Truly adaptable to any soil type or moisture, it prefers full sun but can even thrive in part shade. This plant offers season after season of display: pink flower buds in spring give way to clusters of white flowers in May and June, which fade to red seed capsules that persist into late summer. Winter is when the origin of ninebark’s name becomes clear; the peeling bark offers layer after layer of every color of brown imaginable.
Ninebark’s characteristic varied bark brings winter interest. (Image: Bailey Nursery)
Natural History
This rose family shrub is native to the entire eastern half of North America, appearing in a broad range of habitats. Indigenous appreciation of this species includes medicinal use of the bark as an emetic, and use of the branches for children’s bows and as needles.
Natural History
Ninebark’s appeal goes far beyond its reliability and ornamental value. Unlike introduced species of landscape shrubs, such as Buddleja, which offer only a questionable nectar source, ninebark offers a whole food source for native pollinators and birds. The moth and butterfly species whose caterpillars feed on Physocarpus foliage are too numerous to list, but include the astounding Io moth and ninebark pygmy moth. The rangy branches (prune them aggressively before they leaf out if you must have order) protect songbirds from predators as they feast on the seeds.
It should be noted that countless named cultivars of Physocarpus opulifolius appear in the landscape trade. The shrub’s natural variation in leaf color lends itself to the cultivation of individuals displaying burgundy, red, gold, and pale peach foliage. These cultivars are gorgeous, but less appealing to insects, so if you succumb to the lure of a cultivar (I admit I caved to the allure of ‘Center Glow’), be sure to plant the straight species as well to provide the optimal larval food source.
In my garden, ninebark’s bloom is the peak of pollinator activity, outshining (outbuzzing?) any other bloom. I’ve watched bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds jockey for flower access in what can only be described as an elaborate garden dance to rival any choreographed performance.
(Clusters of Ninebark blooms in full spring. (Image: Engle's Farm & Greenhouse)
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