KTRS Inside Out Show featured Plant of the Week Jan 3 2009 Ninebark

Ninebark ‘Center Glow’

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) ‘Center Glow’, is an offspring of our native woodland beauty. She is uniquely gifted at creating a work of art each season which features beautiful foliage patterns, attractive flowers, and wildlife friendly berries.

Like a young artist anxious to impress her admirers she starts each season by applying bold brush strokes of green-gold foliage to the spring landscape canvas.

However, she sets herself apart from her less adventurous contemporaries who limit themselves to shades of apple green. Instead this ninebark explores the complexities of garnet and peridot as she works to create this seasonal and very contemporary project.

First she tentatively outlines each leaf with a pencil-thin line of burgundy to draw the viewer's focus to the delicate silhouette of each leaf. Then she infuses more pigment till the the band of color floods each leaf, stopping short of the leaf's heart. A perfectly timed pause leaves the ruby melting into the shadows of gold as the centerpiece for each leaf.

Next, this naturally talented ninebark experiments with shading and degrees of saturation of color, until she is satisfied with the depth and intensity she has achieved with her invisible strokes.

As time becomes more pressing, she completes her leafy artwork by hurriedly adding a final wash of bright scarlet which dries in autumn’s chilling air.

Draped in dramatic shades of red, P. ‘Center Glow’ waits for the winds of winter to unveil this "A" plus project. Without any ceremonial tribute, she proudly ignores winter's bluster as the red-black mahogany and charcoal gray branches are gradually exposed revealing a natural still life that will remain on display till the next season's offers an opportunity to begin again.

[Center Glow’ was bred by Harold Pellett, Executive Director of the non-profit Landscape Plant Development Center in Mound, MN. He is a committed and passionate plantsman. He greatly cares about “every day pretty”, our environment, sustainability and the ornamental value of horticulture to a community and all its residents.]