What: Heptacodium miconioides, or seven-son flower, is a somewhat rare and unique plant with wonderful year-round interest. In late summer, it features terminal clusters of fragrant, creamy-white flowers that appear in whorls within each branched cluster. The blooms are followed in fall by an equally showy display of small, purplish-red fruits that are a half-inch-long and crowned with five very showy, sepal-like rose calyces that last into late fall. For winter interest, heptacodium miconioides’ tan bark exfoliates to reveal an attractive chocolate-brown inner bark. This plant is excellent used as a lawn specimen, or as a focal point around the home, or in a shrub border or woodland garden. Seven-son flower looks great underplanted with ornamental grasses such as hakonechloa.
Where: Heptacodium miconioides grows best in well drained soil, although it will tolerate sandy soils and clay. Plant it in a location with full sun to light or open shade. It is best as a multi-stemmed plant.
Size: Grows to 20 feet tall by 10 feet wide in 10 years.
Care: One or two of the older stems can be cut to 6 to 12 inches tall every year to maintain the plant as a large shrub. Alternatively three to five stems can be selected and pruned up to create a small tree.
— greatplantpicks.org
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