My one ninebark died back to the ground after this weird winter we had, and that after two years of mildew and bugs. Up until then it was fine. I'm letting it resprout from the roots, but if I see more mildew, it's gone.

I have been wanting to try one of these as they are highly deer resistant.

I know they are are extremely cold hardy (in fact, Zone 7 is listed as the upper limit by many sources). Kinda surprised to hear reports of them being finicky.

They are bullet-proof here but I am in 9b.

I think a combination of climate, soil, and cultivar influences how healthy ninebarks are. Here's an article from American Nurseryman from 2012 (covering research that took place in 2006-7) that looks at mildew susceptibility of different cultivars in CT. It doesn't have the more recent cultivars that hadn't been introduced then, but it does give a range of how vulnerable different cultivars can be.

Thus far I haven't had issues with the Coppertina or Tiny Wine I grow, but a friend's Little Devil has had mildew issues.

Bulletproof here--Diablo, Coppertina, Lady in Red.

I had Center Glow, Coppertina and Summer Wine. Of all three, CG has the best color. But all three were equally infested by caterpillars and aphids, despite being in full sun, having lots of space, air circulation.

I planted hydrangeas Limelight instead, I hope I'll have better luck with them.

sorry to say ... forgive me.. but this is a good example of planting a monoculture ...large multiples of one plant .... and they all ended up being problematic ...

on the other hand.. good for you.. getting rid of them.. out of site.. out of mind.. lifes to short to have that much stress.. in the garden ...

ken

I agree with you, Ken, with the monoculture. I find it challenging, though, to think of a privacy screen that looks good with different kinds of plants, and does not take a lot of space. I'm hoping it will work out with the hydrangeas, I've asked a few locals, and they say that hydrangeas are a good choice, they do well here. Time will tell. I'll post an update in a few years.

I disagree with ken for a different reason, but I also agree. This is a plant that is a fad...it became trendy what the first copper leaved plant was introduced some years ago, and it's native! How can you say something bad about a native? Don't you know that native plants are perfect in all ways, raise sperm counts, heal broken car axles, and help reduce...something or another, I'm sure

I grew up in a location that is zone 3 on the maps. We couldn't grow much else, so physocarpus was never relgated to the edges of obscurity...and no matter what you want to say about physocarpus or dirr, read his notes in the 4th edition about this genus. I can't say as I think he's wrong.

I feel like my ninebarks are invincible!! I planted 2 different varieties, bought both on clearance and they looked like they were dying...these things took off! It's been going on 4 years w them and never had an issue..could be my area/soil though

I've had a 'Diablo' for about sixteen years and it was covered in mildew last year. In very bad shape this year. My 'Little Devil's' as Nhbabs mentioned above succumbed to mildew last year after about four years in. Was pruning a standard I have of I think 'Coppertina' and same thing is happening. That shrub has also been in about three of four years.

I thought these shrubs were rock-solid (based on reading Dirr all those years ago) and I've really enjoyed them. One very bad snow/ice storm forced my diablo into a waterfall shape and it was truly gorgeous. Alas, I think it will be cut down this year and replaced with a hydrangea.

Some plants are just prone to certain problems, and the environment is what enables the disease. humid environment + susceptible plant = ( eventually) powdery mildew.

The quote from Dirr I recall is about visiting the U of MN Landscape arboretum. They have an extensive collection of physocarpus, he says, and after viewing it, he concludes that just about anything is better.

It's hardy, in the harshest of environments. For all the problems it can have, they are all cosmetic. A problem significant enough to kill this shrub? You'd better get aggressive in that endeavor, because it'll take your best effort, shrug it off, and keep going strong.

But it's prone to foliar issues, even in dry environments. Branches will die off, even though the plant itself does fine. It takes a lot of pruning to keep looking it's best, and even then, in the wrong environment, a week of overcast weather, and it'll be covered in something.

Everyone has certain plants they like. If you like, great. Enjoy it. If you don't, so be it. there's more than one shrub in this world, and my goal is at some point to have seen most of them. Do I want them in my own space? that is entirely different question.

Our ninebarks (we have 5) are fabulous plants here in Seattle area. My only criticism is how large they get. I have cut down 2 of these 5 to a few inches in early spring and they are back to good size again by June.

Had I known these plants were problematical, I probably would not have planted them. Just another example of the "they have minds of their own".

I like to turn them into small trees to show off their bark. Once you get them going in that direction the maintenance is negligible.

Sara

I have grown to like my Summer Wine. I just had to accept that it is, by nature, a floppy bush!!

Awww Im just nowcoming to this shrub forum here bc for the second year my summer wine is infested with aphids- I didnt look at the bush closely for two weeks and now suddenly they are severely affected - covered with ants and so many distorted and brown leaves- all the new growth is ruined.

I was thinking this is all my own dang fault though. Im dismayed to findthat possibly its the plant that doesnt have good resistance.

I was thinking it must have been weakened from my moving this poor bush about 4 times in its 8 year life - it looked great for the longest time, then the last time I moved it, it was after it had been in place 2 yrs (and really looked spectacular). Half of it died off after the move. Last year and this it looked like it was valiantly reestablishing itself - and I was so happy because I finally had given it its "forever" home and I was looking forward to it getting spectacular again. But then the aphids attacked.

question: do the aphids or eggs or whatever stay in the soil or if you remove and destroy the plant, will the aphids be gone too?

I would like to continue to have one of these in my garden as a specimen. When healthy, and in a good sunny spot with room to grow, it has the most full, gorgeous vase like shape and then with the color and the pink flowers - it really is a beautiful plant.

Nov 2019 - I'm in West Central MN, zone 4. I have two Little Devil Ninebarks, 1 Diablo and 1 Center Glow, all planted in the fall of 2012 when we moved a house onto the grounds of my family's farm so my parents could remain on the farm in their golden years. We're very fortunate in this area of MN to have rich, black, loamy soil, and pretty much every bush, shrub, tree or perennial I've ever planted, here or at our previous rural residence, grows to be twice the size, sometimes more, than what is stated on its tag or in gardening/landscaping articles. When it comes to landscaping plants, that can be a blessing or a curse. The two Little Devils are among the foundation bushes planted in front of the house/south-facing, full sun all day. They're supposedly a 4'X4' bush at maturity, but like everything else, they've almost doubled that in size, and it takes repeated seasonal pruning to keep the Little Devils from swallowing up the adjacent sidewalk and obscuring the view from the windows! We have Taupe colored siding with dark brown shutters and shingles, and I wanted a dark brown/maroon bushes to set off the green of our yard. Ninebarks (and a Black Lace Elderberry) fit that bill beautifully and make gorgeous, dark patches in the landscaping! I've never had any pest or disease problems with any of them, unless you consider the hundreds of honey bees that swarm around them during their bloom to be pests. (They especially like the Center Glow! I've found if I leave them alone, they'll leave me alone; a mutually beneficial "agreement".) The Center Glow was given alot more room, in the corner of the deck area and is breathtakingly beautiful! The Diablo, which I expected to be the largest, has been much slower to grow, being planted in the turf grass rather than the bare/mulch-covered soil around the house. (No turf competing for nutrients and water around the foundation.) They're drought tolerant, beautiful shrubs, and other than pruning, take basically no maintenance once established. They hang onto their leaves very late into the fall, well after everything else is bare naked, especially the Little Devils that hold their leaves well into November, later if warm Indian summer temps extend into November. Of the three Ninebark varieties I have, the Little Devils require the most pruning to keep their size in check as well as cutting out old center growth. Now, had they been planted with more space, they likely wouldn't require anymore pruning than their two cousins, but I want them to stay somewhat smallish, so that means pruning at least three times a year in order to maintain a 5 to 6 ft height and width, trying to time the pruning to allow for the heaviest bloom, when their intense beauty more than makes up for the required maintenance. My experience with Ninebarks over the past 7 yrs has been positive, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them as an attractive, healthy landscape choice, especially if looking for something with dark coloring from early spring though late fall. Maybe their success here is due the zone, maybe it's the excellent soil. Whatever it is, they've been trouble-free for 7 years other than the need for maintaining the Little Devils' size. Just make sure you take into account your soil type, growing conditions and your tolerance for pruning when planting and planning for their ultimate size.

Awesome that they work out so well in your garden, katren! They are beautiful shrubs.

They are SO lovely in the wild here around some of the upland rivers. I planted one this fall, hope it's as pretty as the photos I shot this spring on the river.
Edit: Decided to attach a photo...of a lone 9 bark (though if you look closely, you can see others back up river and on other side too).

I like my standard green atlantic ninebark. The flowers fade from white to reddish

This old thread! Well, I moved the ninebark a FIFTH time, this time to the front terrace where its hot, bright, and sunny all day and very well drained bordering on dry. Out in the open so it gets a lot of air circulation. It did very well! Grew a lot and the sun made the color very dark red. Obviously it needed more sun and less dampness than it was getting. I think its found its "forever" home.

So glad it worked out for you, @Debbie Downer!

I have four I planted based on a landscaper designer's plan. It's almost April and they all appeared to have died. They had gotten that way last fall early, but I thought it was just the seasonal change. Now I need to ID a replacement for them that's less fussy. An expensive lesson.

I seriously doubt they are dead :-)) Even in my very mild winter climate, they will not have leafed out this early........more likely the end of April or early May. Wait until then before you decide to replace.

Like other responders here in the PNW, I find these shrubs are very tough customers that require almost minimal attention. Powdery mildew may be unsightly but is rarely ever fatal.

They are slow to leaf out, just be patient and maybe you will be pleasantly surprised!

We had the hardest winter in about 10 years, but my 'Red Robe' is staring to leaf out.