COMMON OR ATLANTIC NINEBARK: (Physocarpus opulifolius). This deciduous flowering shrub is a member of the Rose Family (Rosaceae) and is native to central and eastern North America. It can grow 3-9 feet tall. It can best be recognized in any season because the bark of the lower stems is dark brown to dull orange and eventually shreds into thin strips or broad sheets. The leaves are generally ovate in shape and toothed, but often divided into three to five lobes. At the base of each leaf petiole is a pair of small linear stipules. The pinkish or white flowers form in round clusters at the ends of the branches. Each has 5 petals and a light green calyx with 5 teeth. The flowers have 5 styles and 30-40 stamens. Blooming occurs in late spring or early summer and lasts only 2-3 weeks. The drooping fruit that forms is reddish green and takes the form of the flower cluster. There are 2-4 adjacent fruits per flower. Each is about 1/3 inch long, angular and with a beak on one side. The fruit surface is inflated and smooth. The interior of the fruit is dry and seedy and is not edible by humans. The shrub can grow in a variety of conditions with full or partial sunlight. It is often found growing in poor soil on thinly wooded hillsides cliffs, rocky stream banks, sandy seeps, thickets and hedgerows. Its range is most of eastern North America. A number of vertebrate and invertebrate animals feed on the foliage or the seeds. It is a popular ornamental shrub and a number of varieties have been produced for the horticulture trade. I took this photograph June 5, 2013 along the banks of Raccoon Creek at Green Garden Plaza in Beaver County, PA.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:57:47 +0000
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