mallow ninebark Rosaceae Physocarpus malvaceus
Leaf:Alternate, simple, deciduous, maple-like, palmately 3 lobed (occasionally 5); almost circular in outline, 1 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, blunt serrated margin; dark green above, paler and fuzzy below.
Flower:Perfect, small (1/2 inch) white to faint pink flowers borne in small, dense, upright, hemispherical clusters, appearing in late spring to early summer.
Fruit:Small (1/4 inch long) pointed follicles borne in dense, upright hemispherical clusters, initially they are red and later turning a bright reddish brown.
Twig:Slender and red-brown; young twigs have tight bark but on older twigs the bark splits and exfoliates in long strips; buds with many obvious loose scales, leaf scars raised with lines running downward angling the twigs.
Bark:Thin and yellow-, orange-, or red-brown; shredded and exfoliating in long strips, especially on older stems, fairly attractive.
Form:A medium sized, vase-shaped shrub up to 5 feet.
Notes:
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