Garden Grim Reaper - Physocarpus opulifolius

Imagine Satan's summer house, a scorched shell of despair and gluttony, 666 Hellscream Drive, just off the New Jersey turnpike. The doorbell fashioned of gnashing bloody teeth, fences of writhing filthy torsos, asphalt of bubbling putrid mucus and among this hellacious microcosm of brimstone and severed tongues stands a shrieking row of Physocarpus opulifolius;
The Devil's Ninebark.
If those three words don't draw a wry grin and trigger dreams of vile hellfire, I suggest you find something else to read. Maybe turn on Oprah.


Diablo Ninebark is a cultivar of the standard green-leaved ninebarks, selected for its deep purple leaf color. Now don't freak out; ninebarks have flowers. And now really don't freak out; they might be pink. The thing to remember here is the name. Diablo; 'nough said. Keep in mind, if you're really seriously anti-floral, ninebarks like many flowering shrubs produce flower on the previous year's growth. Because of this, any hard pruning that you may do at the end of the season will prevent these flowers from forming. However, ninebark's flower clusters really are rather fantastic, and whether pink or white provide an amazing color contrast. It may behoove you to plan like colored plants around your Diablo to add to the depth of your color scheme. Or plant something light or gold at its feet to establish a real color blast. Or don't plant anything else at all.


These are extremely versatile plants, hardy from zones 3-7, making them a staple of the American Garden Manscape. They are tolerant of sun, shade, wet, and dry conditions, but like most every plant they prefer a moist, well-drained soil with full sun to part shade. In the heat of summer, the purple foliage of this Physocarpus species can tend to fade into a deep green, but will revert to purple as temperatures recede. Regardless, these shrubs can be a reliable dark mark for the garden. Expect Diablos to get between 8-10 feet in both height and spread, so utilizing this as a rear-border specimen plant can be extremely rewarding. As the bark matures, it begins to exfoliate, and sort of peel back like paper, revealing deep inner layers of its wretched ghoul-ish soul. It is these layers found within the exfoliation which give the plant it's common name, 'Ninebark'.


Physocarpus opulifolius "Diablo" should be considered a standard for the Garden Manscape. There is little about this plant to detract from its blood-thirsty and ferocious color, and its resiliency to extremes is unparalleled both in Hell and on Earth. I mean, if it's good enough for Satan, it's good enough for me... right?




photo credit:
1]http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/40602/photos/PHOTO_14600875_40602_31787990_ap.jpg
2]http://www.calfloranursery.com/images/pics/p/physocarpus_diablo.jpg
3]http://www.flickr.com/photos/13389908@N03/1392545193/
4]http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bcgCdBDUhdU/SpVvryRCVRI/AAAAAAAACK8/y7tlqANM3jI/Physokarpus_opulifolius_Diabolo_100_125-2.jpg