Ninebark Nugget

An attractive, suckering, tall, deciduous shrub, Physocarpus opulifolius Nugget has a vase-shaped, bushy habit. The ovate, three-lobed leaves emerge yellow, tinged red, and mature to yellow to lime-green, and turn yellow again in autumn; these contrast well with the peeling, cinnamon bark. In June, clusters of small, cup-shaped, creamy-white flowers with darker centres appear, followed by dark brown seed capsules, which provide winter interest. Cut back the spent (oldest) stems after flowering, and remove suckers. Otherwise, a low-maintenance shrub, untroubled by pests and diseases, although it can suffer from fireblight.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Fertile, moist, humus-rich, well-drained, acid soil
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 3-6’ (90cm-1.8m) Spread: 3-6’ (90cm-1.8m) in 5-10 years

Photos by HQ and F. D. Richards and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.