Physocarpus (Ninebark) 'Summer Wine'

One of my absolute favorite shrubs is Ninebark 'Summer Wine' and I think it likes me too because in only three years, it has grown like mad:

While it is documented to be in the range of 4' to 6' tall and 4' to 6' wide, mine is easily 7' by 7'. It has quickly become a monster sized shrub and that's OK; I have the room for it and it makes quite a statement as a result. Some other SW tidbits:

• Prefers full sun or partial shade - mine is situated in partial shade and the "wine" color is still phenomenal
• Blooms here in zone 6 New Jersey from about mid May to early June
• Works in almost all soil types including my compacted clay soil
• Can be pruned immediately after blooming to ensure next year's blooms aren't cut off
• The common name Ninebark refers to the exfoliated branches that peel in winter (more on that in a minute)
• I've rarely ever had to water this shrub beyond when it was first planted
• Works well as a specimen shrub but would look damn cool planted in mass as a hedge (but who has that kind of room?)

Some photos of my Summer Wine through the seasons:

Leafing out in early to mid April:        

The foliage soon gets that delicious wine color with the blooms not too far behind:   

A sea of blooms at the end of May:

An up close and personal shot of a stunningly hot, individual bloom:

The foliage color stays dark all the way into Autumn and contrasts beautifully with yellow, chartreuse or bright green foliage (Spirea 'Goldmound' below):

Even in Winter, SW is a dazzling silhouette against the snow:

And if you get close enough, you can see the peeling bark (hence the name) which gets better with age:

I've also planted Ninebark 'Diablo' but the jury is still out there. I am anticipating it to get a lot bigger than "Summer Wine'. With both cultivars, I should add, you can prune them hard in the Spring to control size. You may lose the blooms, but truthfully, this shrub is all about the foliage isn't it?

Until next time ...


John