‘Lady in Red’ is a cultivated variety of our native Common Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). This selection has a much more compact habit than the straight species and will only grow to 5' tall and wide, making it a suitable choice for smaller landscapes. The leaves emerge bright red in spring, maturing to glossy chestnut, copper, and burgundy shades in summer. The dainty, dome-shaped clusters of flowers are heavily tinged with pink and occur over a 2-3 week period in early summer. The prolific blooms, dark foliage and exfoliating bark add color with four seasons of interest to shrub borders and foundation plantings and as a specimen or accent plant.
While the dark leaves of this cultivar are likely not useful to the insects that normally host on the straight species, this native cultivar nicely fills the horticultural niche of the overused, harmful, non-native pest plant, Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea).
Sources:
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr
