Eastern Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
- Plant Type
- Shrub (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Shrub
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular, 💧💧 High
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- May, June
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Paonias excaecatus, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Eulithis molliculata, Lithophane oriunda, Lomographa semiclarata, Hethemia pistasciaria, Eupithecia palpata, Antepione thisoaria, Morrisonia evicta, Lithophane hemina
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) documented feeding on Physocarpus opulifolius seeds. USDA data confirms high fruit/seed abundance with persistence into fall and winter, providing a reliable late-season food source.
S57 Song Sparrow diet record; S11 Fruit/Seed Persistence=Yes, Abundance=High
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Secure in Ontario (S5) and Apparently Secure in Quebec (S4). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Globally ranked G5. Widespread across eastern North America from Quebec to the southern Appalachians, with abundant herbarium representation from the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Eastern ninebark is a characteristic shrub of stream banks, rocky shorelines, and floodplain edges across the Ottawa Valley. It thrives on calcareous riverbanks and rocky outcrops, often forming thickets along the Ottawa River and its tributaries. Tolerant of periodic flooding and drought, it occupies the transition zone between riparian and upland habitats, stabilizing banks with its dense root system.
S7 calcareous sites, river banks, rock outcrops; S61 floodplains, shores; S10 bluffs, rocky banks
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = Medium (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- PFAF recommends for woodland garden sunny edges. OWSL lists suitability for rain gardens, shoreline rehabilitation, hedges, and school gardens. Tolerates juglone (black walnut), making it a useful companion near Juglans nigra. Its dense branching provides nesting habitat and windbreak function in designed plant communities.
S29 Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; S3 rain gardens, hedges, juglone tolerant
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Emetic, Laxative, Cathartic, Gynecological Aid, Venereal Aid, Tuberculosis Remedy
S28 Moerman Drug categories from Bella Coola, Carrier, Chippewa, Iroquois, Menominee
- Notes
- Widely used in Indigenous medicine. The Bella Coola used inner bark decoctions as an emetic for pain, as a laxative for gonorrhea, and as a wash for scrofulous glands. The Southern Carrier used bark decoctions as a purgative and emetic, noting that large doses could be fatal. The Chippewa used root infusions as an emetic. The Iroquois applied poultices for gynecological complaints, and the Menominee prepared bark drinks to enhance fertility.
S28 10 Moerman ethnobotanical Drug records; S29 laxative, emetic, women's complaints
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- No documented food uses. PFAF assigns an edibility rating of 0/5. Moerman's ethnobotanical database records no food use among any Indigenous group. The fruits are dry, seedy follicles with no fleshy component.
S29 Edibility=0/5, Edible Uses=None known; S28 no Food category; S10 fruits non-fleshy and inedible
- Toxicity
-
☠️ High Toxicity
Not listed in Cornell poisonous plants database. USDA Toxicity rated None. However, PFAF notes that large medicinal doses can be toxic, and Moerman records that the Southern Carrier considered large doses of bark decoction potentially fatal. No specific toxins identified in the literature. Standard precaution: medicinal use should be supervised by a qualified practitioner.
S38 not listed; S11 Toxicity=None; S29 large medicinal doses can be toxic; S28 large dose fatal
Seed Source
- Blue Sea
- Akène