Illustration
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Ninebark blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Ninebark
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 6.5 ft tall and 6.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 4 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Ninebark. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Ninebark
Plant Ninebark in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Ninebark get?
6.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult6.5 ftwideSee Ninebark in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Ninebark
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Ninebark about 6.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Ninebark to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Ninebark's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenPhysocarpus opulifoliusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPhysocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenPhysocarpus opulifolius 'Dart's Gold'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionPhysocarpus opulifoliusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- The Morton Arboretumcommon ninebark, Physocarpus opulifoliusheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterPhysocarpus opulifoliusheight, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Department of Conservationninebark, Physocarpus opulifoliusheight, sun and trait tags
- Native Plant Trust (Go Botany)Go Botany, Native Plant Trust (Physocarpus opulifolius)height and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 7 varieties
Same plant, same care - pick the variety you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Ninebark group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Jubilee | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 2–7 | Full sun | 6 ft × 5 ft |
| Coppertina | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 8 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Diabolo | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 8 ft × 8 ft |
| Little Devil | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 3 ft × 3 ft |
| Ninebarkthis page | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 6.5 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Nugget | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 2–8 | Full sun | 5 ft × 5 ft |
| Summer Wine | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 6 ft × 6 ft |
| Tiny Wine | Foliage | May–Jun | Zones 3–7 | Full sun | 3.5 ft × 3.5 ft |
Good to know about Ninebark
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Full sun fixes three things at once: the deepest foliage color on colored-leaf cultivars, the most bloom, and the least powdery mildew, the disease that thrives in shade. per NC State and Clemson
How far south it grows
Illinois Extension rates it zones 2 to 6; NC State stretches it to 2a to 8b with afternoon shade. The warm limit is heat and mildew, not cold. per Illinois and NC State
Bark peels in nine layers
Mature stems shed papery strips of bark in many thin layers, exposing reddish inner bark. The name nods to nine lives, and Clemson counts as many as nine layers. per Clemson
Feeds bees, butterflies and birds
A strong native plant: USDA calls the flowers an excellent nectar source, they draw bees and butterflies, and many bird species eat the seed capsules. per USDA and NC State
Tough enough for rough sites
It shrugs off clay, rock, compaction, drought, and both wet and dry ground, which makes it a go-to for rain gardens, hedgerows, and erosion control. per Clemson and USDA
Not deer-resistant
Unlike many shrubs, ninebark is not on the deer-resistant lists. Deer and rabbits browse young plants where pressure is high, so protect new plantings. per NC State
What pairs well with Ninebark
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Black-Eyed Susan
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Blazing Star
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Hyacinth
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 10 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Windflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; taller at 23 ft, for the layer behind it.
Crocosmia
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 3 ft, for the front of the border.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in midsummer as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
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