Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus)

Pacific ninebark.jpg

Deciduous shrub with thin brown bark shredding into many layers on older wood. Leaves 1–2 in. long, with petioles to 3/4 in., 3- to 5-lobed and toothed, shiny green above. Inflorescence is a round snowball-like cluster. Flowers more or less 1/2 in. across, with 5 white rounded petals, many stamens, hairs divided like a star on the calyx. Grows in moist places such as streambanks, north-facing slopes, edges of forests, at low to mid-elevations.

  • Rarity: Locally Common

  • Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer

  • Life Cycle: Perennial

  • Height: 6--12 feet

  • Habitat: West-Side Forest, Coastal, Moist Riverbanks

  • Found In: Siskiyous, West Gorge, N Cascades Np, Mt. Rainier Np, Olympic Np

  • Native: Yes