An excellent native shrub for year-round interest, the arching branches of Common Ninebark give this shrub a full, mounded shape. Five petaled flowers appear in dense, spirea-like clusters in spring, and give way to clusters of reddish-pink capsules …
An excellent native shrub for year-round interest, the arching branches of Common Ninebark give this shrub a full, mounded shape. Five petaled flowers appear in dense, spirea-like clusters in spring, and give way to clusters of reddish-pink capsules. The clusters eventually turn brown and persist into the winter. The leaves are yellow in the fall. Named for its unusual bark which peels in strips to reveal several layers of reddish to light brown inner bark, Ninebark is a popular 'winter interest' shrub.
Physocarpus opulifolius makes an excellent hedge plant and provides good erosion control. Both short and long-tongued bees visit this shrub for the abundant flower nectar. Mining bees are frequent pollinators of ninebark flowers. A top choice for increasing biodiversity in the landscape, Common Ninebark is known to host numerous moths, including the Io moth, Glorious Habrosyne, Bluish Spring Moth, Hitched Arches moth, and the Large Maple Spanworm, to name a few!
Planting and Cultivation Notes
Common Ninebark has "perfect flowers," meaning that both male and female parts are contained on a single flower. The male and female flower parts develop in sequence, and the flowers themselves are self-infertile. Three plants are recommended for a reliable fruiting. Plants can be divided in the early spring, with a sharp spade, chopping right through the middle. Softwood and hardwood cuttings are easy to root.
Native plants can be grown outside of their native range in the appropriate growing conditions. This map shows the native range, as well as the introduced range, of this species.
Plant Shipping Rates: for plant orders up to $50 the shipping amount is $9.95. For plant orders from $50.01 and over, the shipping rate is 20% of the total plant cost.
Fall plant-shipping begins on September 9, 2024. The last day to order your plants for fall shipment is September 29.
During checkout, you will be asked to choose a Shipping Week for your plant delivery, from the dates that are available. The week that you choose will be included in your order confirmation email. When your plants ship you will receive an email that includes your tracking information.
Our potted shrubs are between 1' and 2' high when shipped. The root is well developed and the plants have established branching. This shrub is in a one gallon (or #1) container, which is approximately 7" deep x 6.5" wide at the top.
Should this shrub be planted in spring or fall?
This shrub can be successfully planted in either spring or fall. See Tips for Planting in Fall for more informtation about planting perennials (including shrubs) in the fall. You may also be interested in How to Plant Shrubs, in our Resource & Guides pages.
What is the growth rate of ninebark?
Ninebark is a fast growing shrub, and can see height increases of 2 feet or more in a single year.
Is this shrub deer resistant?
This shrub is not deer resistant.
If you live in an area where deer are present, we recommend protecting any newly installed shrubs by surrounding them with a wire fencing cage, or a plastic netting to protect them from being browsed by deer and/or rabbits. Food sources can be scarce in the winter, and young shrubs are choice when when there are no tender perennials available. If you live in an urban area where there are no deer, you may have rabbits in your yard. Rabbits also browse young, newly planted shrubs when other plants are not available.
These shrubs are deer resistant: New Jersey Tea,Sweet Fern,Shrubby St. John's Wort,Carolina Rose,Purple Flowering Raspberry.
Can this shrub be pruned to give it a more formal form?
That's a good question. Common ninebark can be shaped somewhat. The outer branches can be pruned back to give shape and reduce the size of the plant. This pruning strategy is often recommended to be done in spring, after flowering, and then repeated later in the growing season. However, cutting back right after flowering will remove the red seed capsules, which are an attractive feature of Common Ninebark. Cutting back in the spring can also be disruptive to birds that might nest within the shrubbery. We recommend waiting until late July or early August to prune/shape this shrub.
A general pruning that maintains the natural shape of the shrub and improves air circulation is another approach. In late July or early August up to one-third of the branches can be removed, focusing on older and damaged branches, and branches that are crossing and rubbing againgst each other.
Another strategy, renewal pruning, is done just before winter, or very early spring. This invovles pruning the shrub branches all the way to the ground. This should be performed only on a well established (mature) shrub, and may be done once every three or more years. Ninebark tends to come back strong after pruning.
If I plant this in the fall, will it flower the following spring and summer?
We can't guarantee that a shrub will produce flowers in the first year after being transplanted. However, with ninebark it is fairly likely.
Sign-in or create an account to submit a question.
