Native to shaded canyons and slopes, this upright to rounded shrub reaches 4–6 feet tall and wide with brown, shredding bark, short branches, oval toothed leaves. Note the dense, rounded clusters of showy, fragrant, white flowers.

FLOWERS: May–June. Rounded clusters on lateral branches have 15–35 flowers with 5 small white to pinkish petals 1/4–1/2 inch long (6–11 mm); stamens 10, erect.

LEAVES: Opposite, short stalked; blades oval, 3/4–3 inches long, (2–8 cm), surfaces heavily veined,edges toothed, tips pointed.

HABITAT: Well-draining soils, forested canyons, slopes, stream banks.

ELEVATION: 7,150–9,900 feet

RANGE: AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, WY.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Ninebark, Physocarpus monogunus, has lobed leaves.

NM COUNTIES: Forested mountain canyons and slopes in mid- to high elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Colfax, Grant, Dona Ana, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Mora, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.