Physocarpus capitatus
A native western North American shrub in the Rosaceae family reaching about 1–2.5 meters tall, with palmately 3–7-lobed leaves, umbrella-like clusters of white to pale pink flowers, and inflated follicles as fruit, typically growing on moist banks and north-facing slopes in mixed-conifer forests and flowering from May to July.
Common Names
Pacific Ninebark, Ninebark, Western Ninebark
Summary
Pacific ninebark is a broadleaf deciduous shrub native to western North America from Alaska to California and east to Idaho, with an upright to spreading, multi-stem form and exfoliating brown bark. It typically grows about 6.5 to 13 feet tall, and leaves are 3–5 lobed with dark green surfaces above and paler undersides; white flowers appear in dense hemispherical clusters in late spring to early summer, followed by hairy inflated reddish follicles.
It favors full sun to partial shade and moist soils, tolerating a range of moisture and contributing to erosion control with a fibrous root system; it can form dense thickets suitable for hedges, borders, or restoration plantings along stream banks and in wetlands, while providing nesting habitat for birds and cover for wildlife. Propagation is easy from seed, hardwood cuttings, or live staking; pruning after leaf drop encourages upright growth and helps maintain shape, and occasional pruning supports landscape performance.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6.5-13 feet
Spread
60-120 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-10
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained loamy soil, pH 5.0–7.0.
Soil Drainage
Moist to wet soils
Soil pH
6.0-7.0, Slightly acidic to neutral
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Dark green foliage with paler green undersides.
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow, Gold, Red, Rose-brown
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast-growing
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Layering, Division, Cuttings (including hardwood cuttings and live stakes)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts birds, Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Pursh) Kuntze
- Publication
- Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 219 (1891)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Rosales
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Genus
- Physocarpus
Synonyms
Spiraea ribifolia Spiraea opulifolia var. multiflora Spiraea opulifolia var. mollis Spiraea capitata Opulaster capitatus Opulaster opulifolius var. capitatus Neillia capitata Spiraea opulifolia var. tomentella Physocarpus opulifolius var. tomentellus Spiraea ribifolia Neillia opulifolia var. mollis Physocarpus tomentosa Opulaster opulifolius var. tomentellus Spiraea opulifolia var. tomentosa Physocarpus opulifolius var. tomentellus