Physocarpus opulifolius 'ZLEYe12' RASPBERRY LEMONADE™

Ninebark is a low-maintenance, deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae family from eastern North America, available in several varieties offering a range of leaf colours and habits. In the new millennium there has been a number of new selections found as natural mutations or crossings which enriched the range of these popular hedging plants.

David Charles Zlesak is an American professor of horticulture at UWRF (University of Wisconsin - River Falls), which is located in USDA zone 4b, which corresponds to a minimum winter temperature of -32 °C. The plants that are bred and cultivated there are therefore much more hardier than what the Central-European continental climate requires. Among other things, Professor Zlesak is dedicated to breeding especially hardy roses and ninebarks, of which he already has quite a few. Six of them were granted a patent protection, including the most famous variety LITTLE DEVIL™ from 2010, which won the Garden Idol of 2011 award from the American Nursery Landscape Association.

RASPBERRY LEMONADE™ belongs among compact ninebark varieties with a fine texture of small leaves. They are deciduous, about haf the size of the species, conspicuously serrated (notched) at margins, and three-lobed like, for example, fire maple leaves. In early spring they emerge almost yellow and mature to bright chartreuse in summer. In autumn they may gain orange hues but not in all locations. In late spring appears a profusion of small corymbs composed of white, highly melliferous flowers, followed by bright red fruits that look like tiny jewels. They are loved by the birds.

RASPBERRY LEMONADE™ ninebark grows moderately fast and forms very dense, dome-shaped shrubs. Its height and width are around one and a half meters, but the size may vary with the quality of the soil. The variety is protected by the US patent PP31198 from 2019.

In autumn the shrub shows another handsome feature which gave this plant its name ninebark: peeling-off bark in strips on older stems. It looks especially attractive on a sunny winter day against a background of fresh snow. Dark-coloured varieties provide the best contrast in hedges with yellow- or light-green-leaved shrubs and vice versa. Ninebarks combine well with other deciduous broadleaved shrubs producing coloured foliage or flowers such as weigelas, viburnums, etc. These colourful hedges and screens may not be suited to all types of landscape so consider your project wisely as to whether you really want a firework of colours rather than a subtle setting with plants of one type or one colour only.

Ninebarks are so easy to grow. They take any soil, pH and location. The root system is so sturdy it can easily grow through heavy clay that will provide nutrients for a fantastic plant. They even cope well with compacted ground that tends to get waterlogged after the rain. On the contrary, once established they do not require extra watering and sit still until the next rain. Location in full sun will enhance the leaf colour and shrub uniformity. Pruning is a key to the best-looking plants as it ensures regular rejuvenation: prune back 60-80% of all branches every other year after the flowers have set fruits. Best done in early spring before the plant wakes up, or any time during winter but you will lose the sight of peeling-off trunks. Fully hardy to about -45 °C (USDA zone 2), and suitable for outdoor pots.

Last update 25-11-2023