Physocarpus
Physocarpus, pronounced fye-so-car-pus or more commonly referred to as ninebark, is a perfect flowering shrub for this area. Ninebark is a summer bloomer that also bursts with fall color! It doesn’t end there either, folks. The bark of this deciduous shrub continues to provide a wonderful pop of color through the winter months. . Even for those of you in Sunriver or La Pine because they are hardy to zone 3! Woohoo! They are a tried-and-true tough shrub that even the most novice of gardeners will have a tough time killing! They can tolerate acidic soil and once established, they are fairly drought resistant. If deer are present in your yard, it’s a good idea to use deer spray on the foliage or create a perimeter of granular repellant in the spring especially. Here at the nursery, we noticed new growth being sampled if the repellant was not applied.
Ninebark looks great when used as a border in any landscape. Alternating the varieties will provide nice color contrast. Ninebark can be found in different shades of purple, green, red and amber. Even the leaf cut and size vary which only further adds to the flair that this shrub can bring to your garden. For instance, the ‘Little Devil’ variety is a fantastic merlot color and has a tiny leaf about one third of the size of many other varieties. The ‘Mountain’ ninebark is green and has a leaf that resembles those of a flowering currant.
Ninebark can also vary in size depending on the variety to choose to plant. The ‘Little Devil’ is one of the smallest contenders weighing in at a darling 3 by 3 foot size. The ‘Amber Jubilee’ takes its place in the medium size category of this species. Fully grown an ‘Amber Jubilee’ can get 5-6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Named for its lovely amber colored leaves, this shrub is an absolute show stopper in the fall as you witness it’s seasonal color change before defoliating. One of our favorite varieties is the ‘Summerwine’ ninebark. They have a darling pink flower and reach a mature height of over 8 feet! With proper care your summerwine ninebark will be loaded with blooms all summer long. You can also find this variety uniquely grafted into a tree form.
Physocarpus are definitely sun lovers. That said, don’t panic if they look doggy by the afternoon on a hot summer day. They will find reprieve with the cooler overnight temps and look great again before coffee hour the next morning. Stop by the nursery soon to see these beautiful plants in person! Our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you pick out the perfect ninebark to add to your garden.
