Ninebark Shrubs
- Ninebarks grow to 10 feet tall, but compact varieties that reach only 5 feet are available. Tiny pink or red berries follow the flowers in late summer. The serrated leaves don't change color in fall but deepen their original color. Young stems are dark reddish brown, shiny and smooth. As they age, the bark peels attractively to reveal an orange layer. Ninebarks are hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Plant ninebarks in full sun or part shade, in well-drained soil. They are not fussy about soil type, but amend the soil with compost to improve drainage. Water weekly, soaking the plant, to establish a good root system. Ninebarks are drought-tolerant shrubs but look their best with regular water during hot weather. Prune errant branches where they meet the trunk to keep the shrub looking tidy.
- Summer Wine has an arching habit with finely cut, deep burgundy foliage and grows 6 feet tall. Its flowers are reddish-pink. Plant it in full sun for best color. Diablo has dark reddish-purple leaves that may turn greenish in full sun. It produces red fruit. Coppertina has leaves that change from copper to maroon-red. A wide, upright shrub, it grows 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide and is best planted in dappled sunlight. In spring 2011, Bailey Nurseries introduced a new, compact variety, Little Devil, that grows in a rounded shape to 4 feet.
- Dart's Gold ninebark is a compact variety with bright yellow foliage. Nugget grows to 6 feet with leaves that change from yellow to lime green and then to gold in autumn. The golden-leaved varieties typically turn green in full sun, so give them dappled sun to keep the yellow hue.
