PlantsShrubs & Vines

Ninebark

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ninebark in flower
In flower · no rights reserved · CC0

Physocarpus opulifolius

Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.

Tough flowering screen shrub

EasyShrubs & Vines
Light
Full sun–part shade
Moisture
Dry–moist
Mature size
6–10 ft
Spacing
6–10 ft
Bloom or harvest
Flowers May–Jun; seedheads summer
How it spreads
Upright multi-stem shrub
What to buy
Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
When to plant
Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.

In the design

Provide mature width; prune for access and renewal rather than forcing it into a small space.

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Reference details
Conservatism value
5
Wetland indicator
FACW