Ninebark 'Little Devil'
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Little Devil' · Rosaceae
A compact ninebark with small, deep burgundy leaves on upright stems, and button-like, pinkish-white flowers in early summer. It resists mildew.
- Size
- 3½ ft tall, 3½ ft wide
- Zones
- 3 to 7
- Light
- Full sun
- Flowers
- Late May to late June
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around ninebark 'Little Devil'
The planner designed this bed around ninebark 'Little Devil' when this page was made: a 16 × 8 ft (4.9 × 2.4 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 966 that suit those conditions, and says below why ninebark 'Little Devil' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Ninebark 'Little Devil' × 1, pink
- 2 Verbena 'Homestead Purple' × 5, purple
- 3 Creeping phlox 'Emerald Blue' × 6, blue
- 4 Sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' × 4, yellow
- 5 Fernleaf yarrow 'Cloth of Gold' × 5, yellow
- 6 Meadow sage × 3, white
- 7 Allium 'Globemaster' × 5, purple
- 8 Easter lily × 5, white
- 9 Asiatic lily × 5, yellow
Why this plant
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
- The only pink.
Why here
- In the middle. At 3½ ft it is seen over Asiatic lily (3 ft) in front of it.
- A step in the back row. Next to fernleaf yarrow 'Cloth of Gold' (4½ ft) and sweet coneflower 'Henry Eilers' (4½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- In flower for four weeks. From late May to late June.
- Fills no gap. Every week it is in flower, at least three other kinds are too. It thickens a season that is already full.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The flowering is at its height in late June, with 6 kinds out together. The longest in flower is verbena 'Homestead Purple': 21 weeks, from mid May to early October.
The planner's own design check: 9 Excellent, 8 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where ninebark 'Little Devil' goes in a border
At 3½ ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
Dark foliage at a size that fits among perennials. It takes the place of the invasive purple barberry, and needs no pruning.
- Dark foliage for small gardens
- A native substitute for purple barberry
- Low hedges
What to plant with ninebark 'Little Devil'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Black-eyed Susan 'Little Goldstar': takes over when it finishes, flowering from mid July; low enough (16 in) to stand in front of it.
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy': carries the spot on into mid October; bold leaves against its fine ones; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': in flower together for four weeks, from late May; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
Choosing between it and a look-alike? Japanese barberry vs Ninebark 'Little Devil'.
Questions about ninebark 'Little Devil'
Does ninebark 'Little Devil' need sun or shade?
Ninebark 'Little Devil' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does ninebark 'Little Devil' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 7. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 7 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does ninebark 'Little Devil' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers late May to late June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 3 | Mid June to late June |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Early June to late June |
| Zone 5 | Late May to late June |
| Zone 6 | Late May to late June |
| Zone 7 | Mid May to mid June |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should ninebark 'Little Devil' be planted?
3½ ft (100 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 3½ ft (110 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 3½ ft (110 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many ninebark 'Little Devil' plants do I need?
At 3½ ft apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 3 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is ninebark 'Little Devil' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat ninebark 'Little Devil'?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
What flowers after ninebark 'Little Devil'?
Ninebark 'Little Devil' is over by late June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Black-eyed Susan 'Little Goldstar': from mid July to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems (a recorded partner).
- Bee balm: from early July to early August, 3 ft tall.
- Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does ninebark 'Little Devil' look like in winter?
Ninebark 'Little Devil' drops its leaves and stands as bare branches. That is when to see its shape, and to prune it if it needs pruning.
Is ninebark 'Little Devil' good for bees and butterflies?
Ninebark 'Little Devil' is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada (this is a named variety of the native plant).
More Physocarpus
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius
- Ninebark 'Dart's Gold' Physocarpus opulifolius 'Dart's Gold'
- Ninebark 'Diabolo' Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo'
- Ninebark 'Summer Wine' Physocarpus opulifolius 'Seward' (Summer Wine)
- Ninebark 'Tiny Wine' Physocarpus opulifolius 'SMPOTW' (Tiny Wine)
In these guides
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Shrubs under 4 feet for small gardens
- Plants with purple and burgundy leaves
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 3½ ft (110 cm) tall, 3½ ft (110 cm) wide
- Plant
- 3½ ft (100 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- Late May to late June; dense clusters; pink
- Leaves
- Fine texture, deciduous; burgundy
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 7
- Light
- Full sun
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Comes from
- Central and eastern North America
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Drought
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.