African Garden + plants

Physocarpus' Flashy Fruits

This is for Kim/Blackswamp Girl at A Study in Contrasts, whose Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo' (Diablo™) fruits aren't as photogenic as mine. I'm not boasting, it's just that mine are in tight balls, and the plant is loaded with them this year.

The top photo was taken Friday, the above photo on Sunday. (Hence the difference in color and amount.) It's at peak fruitiness now. Like Kim, I prefer the fruits to the flowers, which are kind of cool close up,

but look like white blobs from a distance. Moreover, it's a bit too much of a contrast for my taste with the white flowers and near-black foliage. (I'm not crazy about white flowers anyway.)
Physocarpus opulifolius is native from Quebec to Tennessee and is hardy down to Zone 2. It is an easy plant to grow with few pest or disease problems. Plant it in full sun or part shade and give it lots of space, as it is a large shrub.