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Physocarpus opulifolius |
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| Common name |
ninebark |
| Family |
rosaceae |
| Life cycle |
shrub |
| Flowers |
white (late spring) |
| Size |
4 ft |
| Light |
full sun-part shade |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil |
From seed  |
germinate at or slightly above room temperature . detailed seed-starting info below
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| Seed ripens | early October |
This arrived in our garden as a changeling - I received seed in a trade labeled as Neillia thibetica, but that plant doesn't look anything like what grew from the seed. An inquiry on Gardenweb led me to the correct identification. The white flowers in late spring are nice, but the bright red fruit that follows is even more striking. As the picture shows, the flowers and fruit partially overlap, making for a lovely effect. The foliage is attractive too - all in all, not bad for a changeling!
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We also grow its cultivar cousin 'Diabolo' - with purple leaves and, so far, a more upright habit. Quite a handsome devil! |
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following areas: side garden, driveway bed, pondside, orchard nursery area, sale plot Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list One or more images of this plant are included in my stock photo catalog About my plant portraits
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Physocarpus 'Diablo' Question..? | Sep 25, 2004 | Hello!
I just picked up on eof these plants at Home Depot. I love the burgundy foliage! I was wondering if you'd had this plant a full season yet? If so, did it bear fruit like your green variety? I am hoping to put it in the absolutely full, dry, hot, unmitigating sun of Southern Maryland (7b), where I use soaker hoses to give things a good bath when necessary.
I'd love your input on this one! I absolutely love it.
Thanks,
Christine Muehling
(another Gardenwebber.:) |
| Kathryn Yuodsnukis | Nov 24, 2004 | Searching the web for the care and culture of Physocarpus Diablo, and low and behold my second click happened to be you, less than an hours drive away from my home in Delano. Both your specime pictures are quite beautiful. How lucky to have them . Your plant sale sounds wonderful. Please keep me posted. |
| Rachelle Towne | Jan 12, 2005 | Rob, I really love your site. I wish I had the innitiative to start one of my own. I have been dabbling in starting a nursery to sell plants and have had some minor success. I start quite a few things from seed, but I like to propagate from cuttings as well (really into that). I will continue to visit your site from time to time. Your pictures and notes are helpful! I live in central WI and I have had the Diable Ninebark for 4 years now. (The Diablo version is a patented plant by the way, so be careful...) I am really impressed with Diablo, and looks great against blue leaved plants. I find the seed heads really impressive, too! The green one is actually native here. I have propagated, by cuttings, Diablo for a couple friends, a garden trade, and have had good success rooting it by cutting. I am going to attempt the native this year, after spotting one late last summer in the "wild". There is a gold one, "Dart's Gold", too (unpatented, I think). I was wondering if you have a wish list of plants for which you are looking? I like to trade and have a lots of unusual plants, natives, hostas, sedums. I do not collect a lot of seed, but let me know. During the growing season I would be game to mail you a rooted cutting. Thanks for the kind comments. I don't have your address (I don't like to ask for or list people's addresses, to allay spamming fears), but feel free to write me (see bottom of any page). I do have a partial list of wants. |
| jayne | Apr 03, 2005 | Hi my sister and me have just bought Physocarpus o. Diablo each we got them at the garden center at less than a third of their original price as they were a bit sorry for themselves. We hadnt got a clue what they were, looking on the net and you were my first hit. Now I can tell her what it is Thank you |
| tina | Aug 16, 2005 | i have purchased a physocarpus diablo. something has decided that is quite tasty.
what kind of bug is this and what do i do to get rid of them without harming the plant. (also about 10ft away is a chinse lilac. could it be the same bug? I have no idea, Tina. If you didn't see the bugs, it'd be a wild guess at best. Mine remain relatively unscathed, even with the ridiculous onslaught of Japanese beetles we've seen this year. |
| Betty Maupin | May 06, 2006 | I am taking a cutting of Ninebark, Diablo. I used rooting hormone, do you
think I should put a clear plastic bag over it also?
Nice web site.
Thanks. I'm more a seed guy than a cutting guy, but I believe in most cases it is beneficial to preserve humidity around cuttings, for which a cover would be helpful. |
| erica olson | Jun 06, 2006 | I had a Diablo Ninebark for 6 years. It was on the North side of the house (Central WI) and it grew to be about 12 ft tall and 10 ft wide - bigger by far than the tag stated. I loved it, but so did the aphids.
When I moved last Fall I took a seedling with me but when it leafed out this Spring it had reverted to green. |
| Fran Grady | Sep 03, 2006 | I purchased a shrub 3 summers ago and although it has grown from approximately 1 foot to about 5 feet, it has yet to flower. It appears to be a very healthy plant and receives sunlight for the entire day but could this be why it is not flowering?? Mine are in full sun, and flowered in their second or third year after starting from seed. I don't know what might be going on with yours... |
| skiwithchar | May 05, 2008 | Hi! I have one of the ninebarks, and am thinking of splitting/dividing it into two, since it's supposed to get so big... do you know if this will kill the plant, or will it be ok? I plan to make a clean "cut" through the roots... Any help you can offer would be great! |
| connie hall | Jul 27, 2008 | we live in the middle of the country. would a nine bark be a good choice with all the japenese beetles that come from the fields?
Connie Hall In our garden ninebark is not a Japanese beetle favorite - they may browse it, but they don't flock to it like they do to our pussy willow, sand cherry, and hardy hibiscus. |
- Seed from '01 trade. Baggy 70F (90%G, 8-35d). Extra warmth helped germination
- Seed from '04 garden, collected from 'Diabolo'. Baggy 75F (57%G, 10-23d)
- Seed from '04 garden, collected from species. Baggy 75F (52%G, 8-27d)
- Seed from '07 garden collected from 'Diabolo'. Baggy 75F (35%G, 7-17d). About half the seedlings have dark coloration
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common mis-spellings: diablo
Last modified:
May 31, 2008
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