Coppertina Ninebark Brings Warm Color Spring through Fall

Virtues: Coppertina ninebark is an adaptable, easy-to-grow native shrub that offers warm color in spring through its foliage that emerges a shiny copper color. The leaves change to red in summer as blooms appear in pink to white. Coppertina ninebark makes it easy to have colorful interest all summer long thanks to its foliage.

Common name: Coppertina ninebark

Botanical name:Physocarpus opulifolius Coppertina or ‘Mindia’

Exposure: Full sun to part shade

Season: Spring through fall for colorful foliage; early summer for flowers

Flowers: Pale pink flowers open from rosy buds in early summer. The small individual flowers are held together to create a larger ball of bloom.

Foliage: Maple-like leaves emerge copper in spring and darken to red for the summer and fall.

Habit: Coppertina ninebark is a deciduous shrub that can reach 8 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide, with an arching shape.

Origins:Physocarpus opulifolius is a shrub native to roughly the eastern half of North America, where it grows along streams, the edges of woods and on rocky hillsides. Coppertina originated as a cross between two earlier P. opulifolius cultivars: the yellow ‘Darts Gold’ and Diabolo (‘Monlo’), which has purple leaves.

How to grow Coppertina ninebark: Site in full sun to part shade, in any soil with good drainage. Once established it can tolerate some drought. Provide a site with good air circulation to avoid powdery mildew, which can be a problem for nine barks in humid regions. Ninebark looks best with its natural shape, but if necessary it can be pruned right after it flowers. Ninebark can also be cut back hard, close to ground level, in winter to promote new growth.