Seven Son Flower, Deciduous Tree Of The Day

Heptacodium miconioides

Seven Son Flower

Type Tree, shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 5A to 8B

Height 6' to 20' / 1.80m to 6.00m

Spread 4' to 10' / 1.20m to 3.00m

Growth rate Fast

Form Irregular or sprawling, upright or erect and vase shaped

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Deciduous

Bloom Color Red and white

Bloom Time Summer and Fall

The flowers are fragrant.

Environment This plant tolerates some drought and occasional wetness.
This plant will grow in dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color Green
Fall Color Yellow

This plant has attractive foliage.

Culture Notes Heptacodium miconioides is the only one of the four Gold Medal 1995 selections not native to North America. It is a rapid growing plant that is very adaptable to a variety of cultural conditions. It is tolerant of sun or shade, wet or dry soils, and a wide range of pH levels. Plant in the southern portion of its range are best in some shade. Plant can be grown as a multi stemmed shrub or trained as a single stem.
Planting and establishing shrubsThe most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

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