Plant Library

Other Names:  Eastern Ninebark

Brand:  Bloomin' Easy

Description:

This spectacular garden beauty features upright compact branching and deep purple, near black leaves that maintain color throughout the growing season; grown primarily for foliage, pink flowers are sparse; an excellent contrast accent for the garden

Ornamental Features

Panther® Ninebark has attractive burgundy-variegated deep purple foliage with hints of black which emerges crimson in spring on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The serrated lobed leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of indigo and in the fall. It features airy corymbs of pink button flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to early summer. It produces red capsules from early to mid fall. The dark red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Panther® Ninebark is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Panther® Ninebark is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Panther® Ninebark will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Panther® Ninebark makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.