Wasatch Wildflowers: Mallow-leaf Ninebark (physocarpus malvaceus)

Photo: Mallow-leaf Ninebark in Bloom – photo: Ashley Brown

WASATCH MOUNTAINS, Utah — Mallow-leaf ninebark, a native deciduous shrub, is a member of the rose family. Ninebark refers to how the plant sheds its bark in layers.

The shrub grows between two and six feet tall. Showy clusters of delicate white flowers bloom amongst broad, lobed leaves. The flowers are a favorite amongst pollinators. In fall, the foliage may be vibrant red or dusty rose brown.

Mallow-leaf Ninebark flowers bloom June through July. Look for the plants on moist slopes in aspen and mountain shrub communities between 5200 – 10800 feet in elevation.