A Ninebark That Glows Ginger-Orange in Spring and Deepens to Wine

Ginger Wine Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius 'SMNPOBLR') puts on a season-long color show: new growth emerges glowing ginger-orange, then matures to a rich wine-burgundy, so the shrub layers warm and dark tones at once. Add pinkish-white early-summer flowers, exfoliating winter bark, and the legendary toughness of our native ninebark, and you get a standout, no-fuss shrub hardy to USDA zone 3. Whether you want a warm color contrast in a Maple Grove border, a colorful screen in an Edina yard, or a tough shrub for a Woodbury slope, Ginger Wine delivers.

Ginger Wine Ninebark Plant Details

Ginger Wine Ninebark Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Warm-Toned Color Anchor

The ginger-orange new growth maturing to wine-burgundy gives Ginger Wine a layered, glowing look that anchors a mixed border and contrasts beautifully with greens, golds, and silvers.

Colorful Screen or Informal Hedge

At 5–6 feet, it makes a handsome colorful screen or informal hedge with season-long foliage interest. Space plants about 4 feet apart.

Tough, Low-Maintenance Shrub

As a native-derived shrub, it shrugs off clay, drought, heat, cold, and a wide pH range — a dependable, showy choice for hard sites and naturalized plantings.

Best Time to Plant Ginger Wine Ninebark in Minnesota

Plant in spring (late April–May, after the ground thaws) for a full season of root establishment, or in early fall (late August–early October) while the soil is still warm. Get it in the ground at least six weeks before the ground freezes. Avoid mid-summer heat and never plant after mid-October or before spring thaw.

How to Plant Ginger Wine Ninebark

1. Choose a full-sun spot for the richest foliage color.
2. Dig a hole twice the width of the root ball and just as deep, so the crown sits at or slightly above grade.
3. Loosen heavy clay and mix in 20–30% compost; ninebark isn't fussy but appreciates decent drainage.
4. Set the plant, backfill, firm gently, and water in thoroughly.
5. Space plants about 4 feet apart for a hedge or screen.
6. Mulch 2–3 inches with shredded bark, kept off the stems.

Watering Ginger Wine Ninebark in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

Weeks 1–2: water deeply every 2–3 days. Month 1–2: about twice a week. Month 3–6: roughly weekly during active growth, easing off when rainfall is adequate. Stop watering 2–3 weeks before the ground freezes — usually late October.

After Year One

An established Ginger Wine is quite drought-tolerant, needing supplemental water mainly during extended dry spells.

Will Ginger Wine Ninebark survive a Minnesota winter? Yes — easily. It's rated to USDA zone 3 and is among the toughest, most cold-hardy shrubs available, fully at home anywhere in the Twin Cities.

What makes its color special? New growth emerges a glowing ginger-orange and matures to wine-burgundy, so a single shrub shows warm and dark tones together all season — richest in full sun.

Does it tolerate clay soil? Yes — exceptionally well, along with dry sites and a wide pH range.

How does it compare to the other ninebarks? Summer Wine and Little Devil are wine-purple, Fireside is multicolor red-orange; Ginger Wine's signature is that ginger-orange new growth aging to burgundy.

Should I prune it? Prune right after the early-summer bloom to shape it, or take a hard renewal cut in early spring if it gets leggy. Cutting it back also encourages fresh, brightly colored new growth.

You May Also Like

• Summer Wine Ninebark — a wine-purple ninebark with fine-textured foliage.
• Fireside Ninebark — a bold, multicolor red-orange ninebark.
• Little Devil Ninebark — a dwarf burgundy ninebark for smaller spaces.
• Tiger Eyes Sumac — a chartreuse-gold cutleaf shrub with brilliant fall color.
• Pink Dynamo Hydrangea — a compact hydrangea with white-to-pink blooms.

How Many Ginger Wine Ninebark Do I Need?

For a colorful screen or informal hedge, space Ginger Wine 4 feet on center (the body's own spacing) — the 4–5 foot spread closes the row:

As a border anchor, give a single plant a 6-foot circle, or plant a group of 3 at 4–5 foot spacing for a layered warm-to-wine mass.

Ginger Wine Ninebark Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: The signature show begins — new growth unfurls glowing ginger-orange, layering over last year's deepening burgundy.
• Summer: Clusters of pinkish-white button flowers in early summer draw bees and other pollinators, followed by reddish seed clusters against wine-dark foliage.
• Fall: Foliage holds its rich burgundy tones late before dropping, with seed clusters adding texture.
• Winter: The exfoliating "ninebark" bark peels in cinnamon layers — real winter texture on a shrub hardy to zone 3.

At a Glance

✔ Minnesota Native   ✔ Pollinator-Friendly   ✔ Drought-Tolerant   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Summer Wine Ninebark — fine-textured wine-purple foliage to deepen the color story.
• First Editions Fireside Ninebark — bold multicolor red-orange for a hot-toned ninebark trio.
• First Editions Little Devil Ninebark — the dwarf burgundy version for the front of the same bed.
• Tiger Eyes Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac — chartreuse-gold cutleaf foliage that makes the ginger-and-wine tones pop.

Is Ginger Wine Ninebark Right for Your Yard?

Choose Ginger Wine for full-sun borders, screens, and tough sites — clay, slopes, drought, any pH — where you want layered ginger-to-burgundy color on a nearly indestructible 5–6 foot native-derived shrub. It's not a fit for shady spots, where the foliage fades toward plain green and the color show that justifies the plant largely disappears.