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Off and on this summer,
I’ve shown you perennials and shrubs that flower late into the season.
Well, I’ve got one more to show you, and this plant plant’s flowers,
guaranteed, will get your attention.
The genus name for this
plant is Heptacodium, or commonly known as the “Seven Son Flower Tree”. And
that’s son spelled s-o-n.
Now the plant itself
looks like your normal everyday shrub or small tree during the growing
season. 3-4 inch long leaves that actually give a little yellow to bronze
fall color. And as I said, can be grown either as a large shrub or small
tree, reaching about 15-20 feet. It’s a tough durable plant, and very
hardy. But right now and this winter is when it really starts to shine.
In late August thru
September, the Seven Son Flower begins to produce these large clusters of
creamy white flowers that have the fragrance of jasmine, which is pretty
showy, and will attract late butterflies and provide late pollen for the
honeybees. And if that wasn’t enough, the calyx then turn a pink to bright
red, as well as forming purple red fruit in the center of the flower! Now
that is one heck of a late season show!
Once the leaves drop,
the plant then gives a winter show, with its absolutely wonderful
exfoliating bark and dark brown inner bark underneath.
By the way, it’s called
Seven Son Flower, as Hepta means seven, and on each flower stem, you will
find 7 individual flowers. |
