Heptacodium miconioides | seven-sons flower tree

ARCHIVED PLANT. This page serves as reference only. We are no longer propagating this plant.

Seven-son Flower is a fantastic four-season tree that has only recently begun to gain popularity in the U.S. This fountain-shaped tree is one of the few that blooms in late-summer, and pollinators go crazy for it. The large clusters of white flowers are followed by masses of reddish-pink seeds, which look like flowers. No appreciable fall foliage color, but the colorful seed structures and peeling, shaggy bark more than make up for it.

Drought tolerant and extraordinarily easy to grow in most conditions, but performs best in moist soils with full sun. In our opinion, it looks best pruned as a multi-stemmed tree, but it can also be grown as a large shrub.

Distinctions: Winner of a Gold Medal Award from the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society; Great Plant Pick; Winner of a Cary Award from the New England Botanic Society, which honors outstanding plants for the New England landscape.

Zones: 5 to 9
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Type: Deciduous Tree
Height: 15 to 20 ft.
Spread: 8 to 10 ft.
Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Conditions: Average, medium, well-drained soil
Bloom Time: September
Bloom Color: White

Special Characteristics

Winter interest
Beautiful bark
Outstanding fall color
Flowering

image credits

Images 1 (form) cultivar413 from Fallbrook, California, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image 2-4 (flowers, seed heads, young tree) Ali McEnhill at The Old Dairy Nursery
Image 5 (bark) Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons