Ninebark 'Magic Ball'

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) 'Magic Ball' is a sturdy shrub whose lobed leaves are hard to tell from a viburnum's. The crown is dense and rounded, just as the cultivar name suggests, and in spring it is covered with flat corymbs of small white or pink flowers that pull in the bees.

This is a plant that is hard to get wrong: it takes frost to -45 °C (USDA zone 2), clay, stones, drought and city conditions. On species data it reaches 1.5-2.4 m tall and 1.2-1.8 m wide, so it works best in an informal or clipped hedge, in shrub groups, and for holding a slope.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The old bark peels away in long strips to reveal reddish-brown layers beneath, so the bare winter stems still give you something to look at.
• Dimensions: A sturdy shrub: 1.5-2.4 m tall and 1.2-1.8 m wide at maturity.
• Hardiness: Hardy down to -45 °C (USDA zone 2).
• Flowering: In April-May the shrub is covered with dense flat corymb-like inflorescences of white or pink flowers.
• Light: Full sun or partial shade; in northern areas it does better in sun, while in a hot climate some afternoon shade comes in handy.
• Soil: Likes slightly acidic, well-drained soil, yet holds up calmly on clay, stony, dry and even waterlogged ground.
• Watering: Water sparingly to moderately - the plant is drought-tolerant and needs no constant moisture.
• Care: Prune right after flowering and no later than mid-August; in early spring the shrub can be rejuvenated down to the stump.
• Landscape use: Hedges, shrub groups and drifts, and holding slopes together thanks to its erosion resistance.