Most ninebarks are "go-to" shrubs for tough growing conditions and Diabolo is one of them. Handles most any growing conditions quite well. Blooms are actually fairly showy, with nice circular clusters of tiny white blooms that contrast beautifully with the dark foliage. When done blooming the flowers turn red providing continued interest. In my experience Diablolo grows significantly more tall than wide. I was told to expect 8' by 8' but the width has struggled to get much beyond 4-5'. I have not noticed color changing/fading of the leaves. This is an excellent choice for a dependable background shrub in most any growing condition-- especially the tough ones.

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This is one of the most common cultivars that was chosen for its red-purple foliage that is bright and colourful in spring, early summer, and autumn; though, it turns slightly reddish green when really warm or hot weather comes in mid and late summer. All cultivars of plants that are slight mutations of bearing a high level of anthocyanin (red or purple pigments) in the foliage lose most of those pigments when heat comes forth, as they are formed in cool weather situations. They are the pigments formed in the fall that cause good red or purple autumn color. 'Diablo' is usually about 6 to 8 feet high and has larger sized leaves and more stout twigs of the species; not as irregularly pendulous as 'Summer Wine.' This cultivar started to become popular in the 1990's. I have seen during the last two years (2018 & 2019) in a row of Powdery Mildew fungus picking on this cultivar during warm, humid times, causing some significant leaf and twig death. The specimen I planted at a church building has been infested with a cottony scale insect in spring of 2019. Pruning away the dead is the only remedy that I have done.

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