Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diable d'Or' (Ninebark) – Coloured Leaf Shrub (3L Pot)

Physocarpus 'Diable d'Or' is a ninebark grown for its coloured leaves, with clusters of small white to soft pink flowers in late spring and early summer.

Ninebarks earn their keep on foliage. The lobed leaves hold their colour from the moment they open until they fall, the arching stems carry flower clusters along their length in early summer, and decorative seed heads follow and last into autumn. On older stems the bark peels away in fine papery layers, which is where the name comes from and what gives the bare plant something to look at in winter.

It grows to around one to two and a half metres each way and is fully hardy, including in cold gardens. Plant it in full sun for the strongest leaf colour, since the coloured forms drift towards green in shade. It is adaptable about soil and copes with clay and with dry ground once established, though it prefers neutral to acid conditions and can yellow on shallow chalk.

Prune after flowering or in late winter to keep its shape and bring on fresh coloured growth. Supplied as an established plant in a 3L pot.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Ninebark
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 1 to 2.5m tall by 1 to 2.5m wide
• Growth Habit: Rounded, arching and bushy deciduous shrub
• Perfect For: Mixed borders, feature planting, informal hedging and wildlife gardens
• Foliage: Lobed leaves in strong seasonal colour, held from spring until leaf fall
• Flowering Time: Late spring to early summer, clusters of white to soft pink flowers, followed by seed heads
• Planting Position: Full sun for the best leaf colour, or partial shade. Fully hardy, fine on clay and drought tolerant once established.
• Soil Type: Fertile, moist but well drained soil. Adaptable, including clay. It prefers neutral to acid ground and can yellow on shallow chalk.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy right across Britain
• Maintenance: Low. Prune after flowering or in late winter for shape and fresh coloured growth.
• Seasonal Interest: Spring, summer, autumn and winter
• Type: Hardy deciduous shrub