''Physocarpus opulifolius'', known as common ninebark, Eastern ninebark, Atlantic ninebark, or simply ninebark, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the rose

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Rosaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to eastern North America.

Description

It is a mound-shaped

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

with alternate, simple

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

, on arching stems. It has a height from and a spread of . The leaves vary from in length, with palmately veined lobes.Guy Nesom, 2000. Atlantic ninebark: ''Physocarpus opulifolius'' (L.) Maxim., Plant Symbol = PHOP. USDA Plant Guide
/ref> It is fast-growing, insect- and disease-resistant, and drought-tolerant. The species is adaptable to a very wide range of soil and site conditions, from moist to dry, acid to alkaline, and gravelly to heavy clay; and can grow in partial shade to full sun. The 5-petaled, diameter flowers form in

corymbs Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...

. The flowers are white to pinkish, blooming from May to June in North America. In Missouri the fruits ripen from August to early October and are small, dry pods hanging in drooping, papery clusters. The bark peels off in thin papery strips, resembling the number nine in shape, exposing brown inner bark which is the origin of the common name.

Distribution and habitat

''Physocarpus opulifolius'' is found in eastern North America on rocky hillsides and banks of streams as well as in moist thickets, especially in counties south of the Missouri River. There is also a scarcely distinguishable form in the Rocky Mountain region and the Pacific Northwest. Its native range is from New York to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to Florida, Arkansas and Kansas. But it can be found from Quebec west to Minnesota, South Dakota and Colorado, south to Oklahoma to Georgia and north to New York. The shrub is an escape, or a wild plant formerly cultivated, northeastward.

Uses

The ability of ''P. opulifolius'' to grow in harsh conditions makes it especially suitable for erosion control on banks. But it is also grown for its ornamental foliage. Numerous

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

have been developed, of which 'Dart's Gold', 'Diabolo', and = ‘Tuilad’ have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. Newer cultivars offer different foliage color as well as smaller overall plant size.

Ecology

It is a larval host for the

dimorphic eulithis ''Eulithis molliculata'', the dimorphic eulithis, is a species of geometrid moth in the family Geometridae. It is found in North America. Its larval host is common ninebark ''Physocarpus opulifolius'', known as common ninebark, Eastern nin ...

, for '' Macaria abruptata'', the white spring moth, ''Ancylis spiraeifoliana'', the blinded sphinx moth, and possibly the bluish spring moth. The larvae of the

raspberry leafroller ''Olethreutes permundana'', the raspberry leafroller, is a species of tortricid moth in the family Tortricidae. It is found in the eastern United States, south-eastern Canada and north-western North America. The species was described by James Br ...

have also been recorded on this plant.

Notes

References

* * Source of the distinguish remark in the header.

External links

*
USDA Plants Profile for ''Physocarpus opulifolius''
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q159132 opulifolius Flora of Eastern Canada Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the North-Central United States Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Shrubs Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora without expected TNC conservation status