September Tree of the Month-Seven-son Flower

Heptacodium miconioides

NOW SHOWING!

Okay, I hear you, “Heptacodium is a shrub, not a tree!” I debated whether or not to put this under “Shrubs”, but the truth is, in my garden, my three Heptacodiums are three stories high. That’s some impressive shrub. So, call it a small tree or large shrub if you want, either way, it’s one of my favorite underused plants, and right now, it’s doing its ‘thing’, and deserves the honor of Garden-Lou’s first Tree of the Month feature.

The common name comes from the flowers which bloom bright white in late summer in typically seven-branched clusters.

Bees LOVE these flowers, making Heptacodium a great late-season nectar source despite being native to China. After the flowers fade, the red calyces (flower bracts) put on an equally spectacular show. Once Heptacodiums reach a certain age, the beautiful peeling bark appears, qualifying it as a great four-season plant that has done better in the St. Louis region than expected. Not always easy to find in nurseries, but some will order for you.

What I love about this plant-Four season interest, with white flowers, red bracts, and beautiful bark.

What’s not so great-always seems to have at least one dead branch, similar to redbud. Can get odd-angled branches that aren’t necessarily bad. Worse trait-it can be a bit on the messy side. I regret placing one over my pond and patio since the tiny flowers drop for weeks, followed by the red bracts. I recommend placing it in a border or lawn area to avoid flowers dropping into your morning coffee or afternoon lemonade.

Cultivars include;

‘SMNHMRF’ TEMPLE OF BLOOM-blooms earlier than the species and supposedly grows shorter.

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com, All rights reserved.