A PASSION FOR PLANTS E
ven though I am a fourth generation
native Californian, I honestly don’t know very much about our native plants. In an ongoing effort to learn more about the plants that grow all around me, I decided to ask Nicky Hughes, owner ofGold Rush Nursery in Soquel, to choose a native plant and let me ask her about it. When she told me that Physocarpus capita- tus was a worthwhile subject, I tried to do a little research and learned, well, not much. To my surprise, there was no more than the briefest men- tion about the plant, and in only one of my three favorite books about natives. So my first ques-
tion was, “Why Physocarpus? It’s not in any of my books.” Turns out, that is
Ninebark by Nancy Schramm
greenthumb@carmansnursery.com
them indoors during the winter to enjoy the somewhat striped appearance, or in spring when the vibrant chartreuse new leaves start emerging. The palmate leaves darken to a nice green as they enlarge to full size, about an inch and a half across. Late spring brings
attractive clusters of flower buds that open in dense creamy clus- ters all over the shrub. Native wasps (don’t worry, they won’t sting you) are attracted to the flow- ers. As the summer progresses, the flow- ers set chestnut col- ored seeds—a treat for
the finches in your gar- den. When fall comes around, the
PHYSOCARPUS CAPITATUS
exactly why Nicky chose this plant, also known as ninebark. She said it is one of the most underused native shrubs there is, something she can’t understand since Physocarpus has something for all sea- sons. It is a deciduous shrub, so when the leaves drop, the winter view high- lights the many branches with dark cin-
10 April 2012 • Out & About
namon-colored peel- ing bark. As the inner layers of bark are exposed, you see they are lighter in color, which gives you the common name of ninebark. You can cut these branches and bring
leaves will often turn a reddish cinnamon color before dropping. And the leaves fall cleanly, no hangers- on to spoil the winter
silhouette. By this point Nicky
had me pretty much ~ continued on page 12
www.outandaboutmagazine.com
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