by Matt Gibson
Ninebark is a deciduous bush with very attractive foliation . Ninebark reaches maturity at six to 10 feet tall and broad in USDA hardiness zones two through seven . The ninebark plant is screw for its distinctive foliage , its skin bark , and its corymb of white cup - form efflorescence , which draw in bee and butterfly .
Ninebark get its name for its barque , which can be uncase off in multiple , sometimes nine , lean layer . The dark K to reddish leaves of the bush form a pleasant - attend cascading mound . The plant peak in recent spring in clusters of white ( and sometimes pink ) flower that attract beneficial worm , and produces a red fruit in the summer that pull boo . It is also available in dwarf varieties that reach only three to four foundation in tallness and facing pages .
Varieties of Ninebark
A appendage of the rose family , which includes haw and several fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and shrub , ninebark produce in abundance all across the easterly United States . Its reach spreads as far west as the Dakotas , as far north as Canada and as far in the south as northern Florida . There is one variety that is found in the far Mae West in Oregon and Washington , and also in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado . The ninebark bush comes in several unlike varieties , nearly all of which produce white or pink flowers . The foliage of the ninebark shrub cultivars are commonly either yellowed or purple . Here are a few of our favorite varieties of each leafage color alternative :
Yellow Varieties
‘ Luteus,’produces yellowish farewell that turn light green or yellowish - honey oil in full - Lord’s Day exposure . ‘Nugget,’begins with deep golden leaves that turn to chartreuse as the flora matures .
‘ Dart ’s Gold,’produces blank bloom in the early summer , that bloom atop shiny yellow foliage .
Purple Varieties
‘ Monlo,’popularly known as‘Diablo,’is covered in rich glum - burgundy leaves .
‘ Seward,’or is a average - sized shrub with purplish leave .
‘ Mindina,’or‘Coppertina,’shows off a distinctive coppery - purpleness foliage that matures to reddish purple leaf .
‘ midpoint Glow,’is a crossover between the sensationalistic and purple - leaved varieties , as it boasts leaves with gold yellow center field which are border by purple .
Dwarf Varieties
Some varieties of the shrub are more compact and smaller than the shrubs listed above . Of the dwarf cultivars , standouts include‘Seward’Summer Wine , which reaches only 5 invertebrate foot and boasts reddish purple foliage with pinkish - blank flowers in outflow . The‘Little Devil’cultivar spreads just 3 to 4 human foot around and in pinnacle , with thick burgundy leaves that accent its pinkish efflorescence .
Growing Conditions for Ninebark
Hardy to USDA zona two through seven , ninebark may have a scrap of difficulty in the warmer realm of zone eight and nine , but can come through in those regions , specially in a shady placement . Ninebark likes a sunny to part shaded location with plenty of way for the shrub to spread out into the landscape .
Planting Ninebark
turn over a hole that is as deep as the container holding your ninebark , and doubly as wide . cautiously put the shrub into the hole , relieve oneself certain that the crown of the bush is even with the top of the land around the planting zone . After engraft , lightly fill in the interruption with the backfill taken out when digging the maw . Carefully plurality in soil around the ascendant and verify there are no pockets of air around the root system . Water well until the works is base .
Care of Ninebark
Ninebark is drought tolerant , and can survive on only episodic watering and limited fertilization in spring with a well - balanced fertilizer . away from occasional watering and limited fertilization , trim for shape and inner - ramification thinning is all that is needed in term of industrial plant care . Read more about pruning ninebark in the pruning segment below .
Pruning Ninebark
Ninebark should be pruned at least once a year , betimes in the growing season . The best time to prune a ninebark shrub is in the first few days after it flowers , which happens between late winter and early summer , depending on your location . Some gardeners choose to do a second pruning for alimony early in the summer . After June 21 , ninebark snuff it into quiescence and should not be cut , as pruning during the plant ’s quiescence can damage it .
Always do pruning with sharp horticulture tools that have been sterilized . you could make a sterilizing resolution by diluting one teaspoon of bleaching agent in two cups of water . Sterilize your pruning tools before you begin working as well as after every clip you cut into a part of a plant life you think may be diseased . Make your cut at a 45 - point angle , and always edit out as close as you could to the open of the ground or the place a stem connects to the chief ramification , avoiding leaving stump behind .
First , cut away any branches that are dead , damage , humbled , or diseased . You ’ll recognise numb branch by their dry out - up , crumbly farewell or off-the-wall barque that looks different than the barque on the rest of the works . Then remove offshoot as needed to ensure there ’s enough room in the Interior Department of the plant for atmosphere to disperse and sunlight to reach the inner foliation . Also remove any lank or weakly shoot — ones that sag or produce fewer leaves than others on the plant .
Your pruning should remove no more than a third to half of your ninebark bush ’s branches and foliage at a time . The resulting pruned shrub should be symmetrical in shape as well as narrow at the top than at the bottom ( which allows light to reach the branches at the bottom of the flora ) . Some gardeners just slenderly slant the sides of the shrub , while others favour to rationalise their ninebark into a pyramid soma . When you ’re done pruning , clean up and discard the trimmed offset along with accrue leaves and any other plant cloth .
Garden Pests and Diseases of
Ninebark
Ninebark is gentle to take care of , and most gardeners do n’t have to skin with pests or diseases when they ’re growing a ninebark bush . Although it ’s not particularly susceptible to disease or pestilence , however , there is a hazard of encountering the following issues when you cultivate ninebark .
Common Questions and Answers About
Ninebark
Can ninebark be cut to the
ground?
cut back all the way to the ground is one method of snip a ninebark shrub . It ’s particularly recommended to geld a ninebark back to the ground if the shrub is overgrown and out of command . Even if you ’re not clipping every outgrowth , those you do rationalize should be cut as tightlipped to the surface of the territory as possible . Always expend gardening cock that are sterilized ; you’re able to use a teaspoonful of bleach diluted in two cups of weewee to sterilize your pruning shears and other tools .
Do your pruning early in the ninebark ’s growing time of year before it ’s put out too much raw growth . calculate on where you dwell , this window will pass between former winter and early summer . You ’ll recognise it ’s prison term to start thinking about trim your ninebark when it begin to produce blossom . The next few twenty-four hours after blossom are the right-down full sentence to prune a ninebark bush . You may need to do a 2d maintenance prune in other summer in addition to the master pruning you ’ll do as the acquire time of year lead off . disregarding , do n’t lop your ninebark shrub after the middle of summertime — in midsummer , ninebark begins to go dormant , and prune during dormancy could damage the flora .
First , take out any branch that are dead , damage , or broken completely , without leaving a stump behind . you’re able to agnise dead or diseased limb because the foliation on bushed branch will be teetotal and crumbly , or the bark might flake off off or look unlike than the goodly section of the shrub . If you think a incision is diseased , sanitize your tools again after each cut you make on a morbid subdivision .
After removal of dead or damaged branches , move on to lose weight out any overcrowded parts of the flora . make out branches off at the base where they connect to the chief branch . You desire enough space between the branches in the ninebark ’s interior to countenance air to circulate and sunshine to get through . If foliage is crammed closely even though the branches are well spaced , you may need to cut away leaves or smaller stems to create some wriggle room . If any of the stalk look like they ’re perform ill , as in not raise much foliage , sagging , or looking spindly , cut those forth as well .
When pruning , make all your cuts at the basis of a stem where it colligate to the primary subdivision or all the way down to the ground , not leaving stubs behind . Always snub at a 45 - grade slant . When you ’re done , the bottom of the bush should be wide than its top so the leaf at the bottom can get sunlight . you may tip slightly toward the top or make the position steeper and prune your ninebark bush to form a pyramid . Keep symmetry in psyche when you ’re work — if you remove a large branch from one side , you should hit about the same amount from the opposite side to keep things even . Unless you ’re issue an overgrown ninebark plant all the agency down to the earth , you should remove no more than a third to half of the shrub at a clock time .
Can you prune ninebark in summer?
Once the ninebark has gone dormant in summertime , you should waitress to prune it until its quiescence is over . The best time to snip a ninebark shrub is a full stop of a few days after it begins to blossom . look on where you live , this will happen between late wintertime and early summertime . After summer solstice , the ninebark ’s sleeping commence , and lop during dormancy could damage the plant life . you’re able to say more about dormancy in our clause “ Dormant Plants : Your Top Questions , and Answers . ”
Can you transplant ninebark?
Yes , you may transplant ninebark . The best times for transplanting a ninebark shrub are previous in fall while the plant is dormant or early in spring before bud emerge . prefer a new location for your ninebark in full sun to fond shade that has well - draining filth . Dig a hole in the new emplacement that ’s the same depth as the ninebark ’s ancestor Lucille Ball and doubly as all-encompassing as the tooth root testis . Before you dig up your ninebark , tie its branch up with string so they ’re out of your way and less likely to be damaged while you turn or during the move .
You ’ll need to reckon the size of the theme ball so you know where to dig when you ’re drudge up the ninebark bush . Measure the diam of the shrub ’s main trunk at a height of six inches from the ground . Assume one foot of antecedent chunk per inch of the shrub diameter you measure . Then dig up the shrub , putting your spade in six inches farther than the stem ball diameter you multiplied to forecast . You will probably cut through small roots that are coming out of the stem chunk as you prod ; this is to be ask . Once you ’ve dug all around the root ball , lift the ninebark bush up and out of the soil , then wrap the root lump in burlap and secure the textile with twine . roll the root egg maintain it together with its soil and prevent damage to the beginning during the transplantation appendage .
Move the shrub to its new localisation , then unwrap the twine and gunny from the root ball . Place the shrub into the hole you dig , making certain it stand up directly , and fill the soil in around the ascendent ballock and trunk in the hole . When you transplant the ninebark to this newfangled fleck , it should be lay to rest to the same depth it was in the previous fix . Tamp the earth down with your shovel periodically to get rid of aura pocket under the soil . Water the ninebark profoundly just after transplanting .
Do you cut back ninebark?
Ninebark shrubs should be cut back at least once per year , and some gardeners do a second pruning as well . The principal pruning should come within a few days of peak emerging . This will happen sometime between late wintertime and other summertime , depending on where you endure . If a 2nd round of pruning is postulate , it should happen in early summer . After midsummer , ninebark should not be pruned as it will be in its abeyant period , when pruning can have damage . Always prune with sterilized tools . you could make a sterilisation solvent by thin out a teaspoonful of bleach in two cups of water . You should sterilise your pruning tool before you begin and also after every cut into an region of the works you suspect may be diseased .
First remove any drained , busted , damaged , or diseased offshoot . Then cut to create infinite in the interior of the shrub for atmosphere to circulate freely and sunshine to turn over the national branch . Also swerve away any stem that attend weaker than others , have less leafage , are limp , or sag . If a ninebark bush is exceedingly overgrown and the gardener want to pull ahead control and start fresh , they can burn the ninebark all the room down to the land . With all your swing , go in at a 45 - grade slant , and cut as close to the open of the ground or the principal connecting branch as you could . Do n’t leave stub behind . The top of the ninebark plant should be narrower than the bottom , either slightly so or in a more overstated pyramid , and the shrub ’s shape should be harmonious . You should bump off no more than one third to half the plant ’s branches and foliage during any one pruning academic session .
Do ninebark plants lose their
leaves?
As a deciduous bush , ninebark will usually lose its leaves in the wintertime during its dormancy period . The ninebark shrub ’s barque may also skin , which is one of the works ’s unequalled features . Unless the ninebark shrub is lose its leaves outside of the winter dormancy period , dropping leaves is no cause for concern .
Does ninebark bloom on old wood?
Yes , ninebark blooms on erstwhile Grant Wood . This means that when the ninebark start into bloom , the flowers appear on part of the limb and stems that develop the premature class — not on the new growth from the current year . you’re able to distinguish old Ellen Price Wood on your ninebark bush by looking for a vegetation bud scrape that encircle the flora ’s stem . This vegetation bud cicatrice shows where the tip of a limb used to be . In a previous growing time of year , that branch bakshish budded and started to grow and exposit , leaving a cicatrix where the bud scales fell off as the new growth come out .
Does ninebark grow in the shade?
Ninebark can be grown in placement that get a range from full sun to fond shade .
Does ninebark need full sun?
you could grow ninebark in full Sunday , but it can also be naturalise in areas of partial sunshine or fond shade .
How do you care for ninebark?
How do you fertilize ninebark?
When new growth begin to sprout in the spring , it ’s time to fertilize your ninebark bush . Use an all - role fertiliser , and apply it accord to the directions on the package .
How tall do ninebark grow?
Ninebark shrub can grow to pass on height between six and 10 ft improbable when they get proper care and grow in an appropriate climate for their needs . However , some miscellanea of ninebark are design to be smaller , such as “ small Devil , ” which maxes out around three or four feet .
Is ninebark a perennial?
Ninebark is recurrent , which intend it lives through the wintertime in the appropriate climate . Ninebark is dauntless to USDA produce zones 2 through 7 . you could learn more about perennial plants in our article “ Annuals vs. Perennials : What Is the Difference ? ”
Is ninebark an evergreen?
Ninebark is a deciduous shrub , not an evergreen , which means it lose its leaves during the wintertime quiescency menses .
Is ninebark fast growing?
Ninebark is a quickly growing shrub . In fact , these industrial plant raise so quick that a ninebark can touch its full matured summit in just one class of emergence .
Is ninebark native?
The ninebark shrub , Physocarpus opulifolius , is native to primal and easterly North America .
What does a ninebark bush look
like?
Ninebark ’s most distinctive feature is its bark that strip off during the works ’s dormant period in winter . The plant life has a mound - like configuration , and foliage cascades from it with leaves in hues of dark green or red . The ninebark shrub bring on clusters of livid or pinkish blossoms , which stick out flushed fruit that pull skirt at the closing of summer and commencement of spring .
When can you transplant ninebark
bushes?
There are two ideal times to transpose a ninebark bush . The first option is to transplant late in the declination while the ninebark shrub is in its dormancy period . The alternative time for transplantation ninebark is in other spring before buds sprout from its branch and new development begins .
Why is it called ninebark?
The ninebark plant derives its name from its distinctive bark , which during the winter dormancy , peels off in layer — perhaps nine layers , in some caseful .
Will deer eat ninebark?
Deer do not commonly eat the foliage , barque , or other part of ninebark shrub .
Will rabbits eat ninebark?
Rabbits and other animals do not normally consume any part of the ninebark flora .
Want to learn more about growing ninebark?
Better Homes & Gardens coversNinebark
The Barn Nursery coversNinebark
National Gardening Association coversDid Ninebark Survive Winter ?
National Gardening Association coversNinebarks
Garden Design coversGrowing Ninebark
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Gardening Know How coversGrowing Ninebark Shrubs
Gardening With Charlie coversGrowing Ninebark
Hawks Landscape coversNinebark : Pruning , Water Care and Fertilizing
SFGate Homeguides coversGrowing Ninebark
SFGate Homeguides coversHow to Prune Ninebark Shrubs
SFGate Homeguides coversHow to Plant Summer Wine Ninebark
SFGate Homeguides coversTrim Ninebark Bush
houzz coversRabbit Preferences for Winter Food
wikiHow coversPruning Ninebark
Missouri Botanical Garden coversNinebark
The Morton Arboretum coversCommon Ninebark
Oregon State University coversNinebark Powdery Mildew
Prairie Nursery coversNinebark
University of Vermont Extension coversNinebarks
the Spruce coversCommon Ninebark
Virginia Native Plant Society coversNinebark
