''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species).

Description

''Physocarpus'' are

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 Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub A shrub or 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 by their multiple ...

s with peeling bark''Physocarpus opulifolius'' 'Diabolo'
Missouri Botanical Garden. and alternately arranged leaves. The leaves are palmate with 3 to 7 lobes and often toothed edges. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is a cluster of bell-shaped flowers with 5 rounded white or pink petals and many

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. The fruit is a flat or inflated

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that op ...

follicle.''Physocarpus''
The Jepson eFlora 2013.''Physocarpus''
Flora of China. ''

Physocarpus opulifolius ''Physocarpus opulifolius'', known as common ninebark, Eastern ninebark, Atlantic ninebark, or simply ninebark, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to eastern North America, named for its peeling multi-hued bark ...

'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

. Several

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

s have been bred, particularly for foliage of varying colors, including 'Dart's Gold' and 'Luteus', which have yellowish leaves, and 'Monlo' and 'Seward', which have reddish purple foliage.

Taxonomy

Species

There are sixOh, S. H. and D. Potter. (2005)
Molecular phylogenetic systematics and biogeography of tribe Neillieae (Rosaceae) using DNA sequences of cpDNA, rDNA, and LEAFY
''American Journal of Botany'' 92(1), 179–92.Oh, S. H., et al. (2010)
Phylogenetic relationship of ''Physocarpus insularis'' (Rosaceae) endemic on Ulleung Island: implications for conservation biology
''Journal of Plant Biology'' 53(1), 94–105. to 20 species in the genus. They include: Physocarpus monogynus bark1

*'' Physocarpus alternans'' – dwarf ninebark (western North America) *''

Physocarpus amurensis ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are deciduous shrubs with peeling bark

'' – Asian ninebark (Asia) *''

Physocarpus australis ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, native plant, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are decid ...

'' *''

Physocarpus bracteatus ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are deciduous shrubs with peeling bark

'' – (Colorado) *''

Physocarpus capitatus ''Physocarpus capitatus'', commonly called Pacific ninebark or tall ninebark, is a species of ''Physocarpus'' in the rose family native to western North America. Description ''Physocarpus capitatus'' is a dense deciduous shrub growing to tal ...

'' – Pacific ninebark (western North America) *''

Physocarpus glabratus ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are deciduous shrubs with peeling bark

'' – (Colorado) *''

Physocarpus malvaceus ''Physocarpus malvaceus'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common name mallow ninebark. It is native to western North America. Description This plant is a deciduous shrub usually growing up to tall,Habeck, R. J ...

'' – mallow ninebark (western North America) *''

Physocarpus monogynus ''Physocarpus monogynus'', the mountain ninebark or low ninebark, is a flowering shrub of western North America. Distribution and habitat ''Physocarpus monogynus'' occurs from northern Mexico and west Texas north to Montana and South Dakota and ...

'' – mountain ninebark (North America) *''

'' – common ninebark (eastern North America) *''

Physocarpus pauciflorus ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are deciduous shrubs with peeling bark

'' *''

Physocarpus ribesifolia ''Physocarpus'', commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America (most species) and northeastern Asia (one species). Description ''Physocarpus'' are deciduous shrubs with peeling bark

'' – (Asia)

Synonyms

*''Physocarpus hanceana'' = '' Neillia hanceana'' *''Physocarpus intermedius'' = ''Physocarpus opulifolius'' var. ''intermedius'' * ''Physocarpus torreyi'' = ''Physocarpus monogynus'' *''Physocarpus stellatus'' = ''Physocarpus opulifolius''

Etymology

The genus name ''Physocarpus'' comes from the Greek word for "bladder fruit", referring to the inflated fruits of some species. The common name 'ninebark' refers to the peeling bark of mature branches, which comes away in strips.

Cultivation

Propagation is by seeds sown as soon as ripe or they can be stored dry in airtight containers in a cool place for up to a year and then sown. Plants can be divided in the early spring, with a sharp spade or even an axe, chopping right through the middle. Softwood and hardwood cuttings are easy to root. Garden writers describe few if any problems, but it is not unheard for armies of aphids to attack some varieties. Some seaside specimens exhibit powdery mildew in summer.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133596 Neillieae Rosaceae genera