Herb: Ninebark


Latin name: Physocarpus opulifolius


Synonyms: Neillia opulifolia, Physocarpus stellatus, Spiraea opulifolia


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Ninebark:

A tea made from the inner bark is laxative and emetic. It is used internally to treat women's complaints, gonorrhoea, TB and to enhance fertility. It is also used as a wash on scrofulous glands in the neck. Some caution is advised, this herb is best used only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. See the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
June
to July

Habitat of the herb:

Banks of streams.

Propagation of Ninebark:

Seed - we do not have any information for this species but suggest sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe if possible in a cold frame. If sown in the spring it is likely to require a period of cold stratification. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Cuttings of greenwood, June in a closed frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Banks of streams.

Known hazards of Physocarpus opulifolius:

Large medicinal doses can be toxic.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.