Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)
A Showy Specimen with Unique Bark!
- Hardiness Range: 5 to 9
- Height: 15 feet
- Spread: 12 feet
- Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
- Bloom Color: Creamy White from late Summer to mid Fall, with sepals that turn bright red mid to late fall.
Why we Love it:
Seven-Son Flower offers panicles of fragrant creamy white flowers late summer (after most other trees in our area are done). The flowers appear in spiraled sets of seven, hence its common name. In the fall, the sepals turn bright red which offers another season of interest! The Seven Son Flower also boasts a very unique exfoliating bark that stands out especially well against dark red or purple shrub rows. It has forest green deciduous foliage which emerges lime green in the spring. This shrub performs and blooms well in partial shade; many small ornamental trees are not happy in these conditions, making Seven-Son Flower a good plant for a tricky spot.
Know Before You Plant:
Form is loose and natural; each tree has a unique shape! This is not a formal looking plant. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and can be suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree. When mature, it is best pruned during dormancy.
Where It Thrives:
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution.
The Seven-Son Flower would be great planted as hedges/screening and will most definitely bring the butterflies to your yard!
