Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub Tree
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 8b
Plant Height:	15 - 20 feet
Plant Spread:	8 - 10 feet
Leaves:	Deciduous
Fruit:	Showy Other: Small (1/2 inch) red drupes are topped by showy deep pink calyces (whorls of sepals) that resemble flowers and last long into fall
Fruiting Time:	Fall
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant
Flower Color:	White
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Late summer or early fall Fall
Underground structures:	Taproot
Suitable Locations:	Patio/Ornamental/Small Tree
Uses:	Windbreak or Hedge Provides winter interest Flowering Tree
Wildlife Attractant:	Birds Butterflies
Resistances:	Rabbit Resistant Salt tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Days to germinate: Germination of 0ne year old seeds in 3 weeks at room temperature. Start indoors
Awards and Recognitions:	RHS AGM Other: 2008 Plant Select Winner
Conservation status:	Vulnerable (VU)

Conservation status:

Common names

Seven Son Flower
Autumn Lilac
Seven-Son Flower

Photo Gallery

Location: Nationale Plantentuin Meise (Meise Botanical Garden)

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Northern New Jersey
Date: August 2004
In full sun

Uploaded by LorettaNJ

Location: Northern New Jersey
Date: 2021-01-31
Bark color

Uploaded by LorettaNJ

Location: my garden in St Louis
Date: 2023-10-15

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio
Date: 2013-09-13
The delicate white blooms will fall and leave behind the pretty p

Uploaded by arctangent

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Chicago Botanical Garden
Date: 2016-10-18

Uploaded by Fleur569

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton, Michigan
Date: 2020-10-28
Colors of fall foliage form a perfect backdrop for the pink bract

Uploaded by arctangent

Location: Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio
Date: 2013-09-13
Use of Seven-Son Flower Tree in landscaping. Captured at the pea

Uploaded by arctangent

Location: Willow Valley Communities Pollinator Garden, Willow Street, Pennsylvania
Date: 2022-09-10

Uploaded by csandt

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-10-10
Developing fruit.

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, UK.
Date: 2022-08-09

Uploaded by RachaelHunter

Location: Northern New Jersey
Date: 2018-09-23

Uploaded by LorettaNJ

Location: Joan M. Hardle Memorial Arboretum, Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-05-23

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: Hessenhof (Nursery)
Date: 2022-10-29

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by csandt

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2021-08-31

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by Patty

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-08-05

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: Northern New Jersey
Date: 2023-11-20
Same tree I posted in 2018

Uploaded by LorettaNJ

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2014-09-10

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-08-18

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Nationale Plantentuin Meise (Botanical Garden near Brussels)
Date: 2022-10-17

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by SL_gardener

Location: Daylesford, Victoria, Australia
Date: 2018-02-10

Uploaded by Beefcakes

Location: Ed Burton, NE Wisconsin
Date: 4000-01-03

Uploaded by EdBurton

Location: In my garden, Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens, South Amana, IA
Date: Late summer

Uploaded by LarryR

Location: My garden in Ontario, Canada
Date: 2021-11-07
Looking fabulous still in November

Uploaded by Vals_Garden

Location: Calgary home
Date: 2014-08-06
Seedlings

Uploaded by CarolineScott

Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire UK
Date: 2022-10-11

Uploaded by kniphofia

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Chicago Botanical Gardens
Date: 2017-10-18

Uploaded by Fleur569

Uploaded by Fleur569

Location: Sandy, Utah, United States
Date: 2022-04-14

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: My garden, Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens in South Amana, IA
Date: Winter 2010
Exfoliating bark

Uploaded by LarryR

Location: Ed Burton, NE Wisconsin
Date: 2010-09-04

Uploaded by EdBurton

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2009-02-16
A light colored, peeling bark for winter interest.

Uploaded by treehugger

Location: Alnwick garden, Northumberland UK
Date: 2008-09-16

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-10-31

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: Clinton, Michigan 49236
Date: 2018-01-13
"Heptacodium miconioides, 2018, [Seven-Son Flower], Autumn Lilac

Uploaded by frankrichards16

Location: Botanical Garden of the University of Münster
Date: 2017-09-19

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by csandt

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: zone 5a NW Illinois
Date: 2014-08-21

Uploaded by jerseyridgearts

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-10-25

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2020-09-05

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2019-08-11

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: Lincoln NE zone 5
Date: 2015-09-16
Attracks lots of bees and butterflies.

Uploaded by stilldew

Location: Lincoln NE zone 5
Date: 2015-09-16
Bees love the blooms.

Uploaded by stilldew

Location: My garden in N E Pa.
Date: 2015-09-30
Sepals beging to turn red as soon as the fragrant white flowers f

Uploaded by treehugger

Uploaded by Val

Uploaded by stilldew

Location: BG Utrecht (The Netherlands)
Date: 2015-11-07

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-10-01

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Clinton, Michigan 49236
Date: 2015-08-27
"Heptacodium miconioides, 2015, Seven-Son Flower, Autumn Lilac ,

Uploaded by frankrichards16

Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-04-19
You'd think it were dead if it weren't for the new growth miracul

Uploaded by plantrob

Location: Lincoln, NE
Date: 2011-11-06
A real Monarch magnet

Uploaded by Moby

Location: Lincoln, NE
Date: 2011-09-11
Peeling bark

Uploaded by Moby

Location: Lincoln, NE
Date: 2011-09-11
Sweetly fragrant flowers in September

Uploaded by Moby

Uploaded by Moby

Location: Lincoln, NE
Date: Early November
The calyx is retained and turns red in Autumn

Uploaded by Moby

Location: BG Utrecht (The Netherlands)
Date: 2015-11-08

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by Patty

Location: Cantigni Gardens in Wheaton, Illinois
Date: 2010-08-18
mature plant

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Tyler Arboretum near Media, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-08-24
trunks and bark

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Hershey Gardens, Hershey, Pennsylvania USA
Date: 2019-08-25

Uploaded by csandt

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-05-05

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Uploaded by Patty

Uploaded by frankrichards16

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by jerseyridgearts (SW Louisiana - Zone 9a) on Aug 22, 2014 5:23 PM concerning plant:

Although this tree (which was planted as a small mail order purchase) is described as tolerant in zones 5 through 9 (Missouri Botanical Garden site), it has shown extreme hardiness. It has withstood an open position in a rural northern zone 5, and it survived two growing seasons of significant drought without much supplemental watering and then a record-breaking winter that killed plants purported to be hardier. The bloom on the tree this year is spectacular. It makes a perfect addition to a mixed border perennial scheme with its interesting bark, nice glossy leaves, and delicate bracts of white flowers in August, providing true four-season interest.

Reply to this comment
Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Sep 29, 2018 8:10 PM concerning plant:

My biggest customer in West Chester, PA, a plant enthusiast, had one of this Seven-son Flower shrubs planted in her backyard, though it is surrounded and shaded by some other shrubs and a tree so that it is not an excellent specimen. Otherwise, I've just seen it at some arboretums and botanic gardens. The Arnold Arboretum in Boston, MA, supported the introduction of this species from China in 1980. I find this member of the Honeysuckle Family to be an interesting plant, but not really that lovely. Its white flowers are loved by bumblebees and some other pollinators.

Reply to this comment

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Heptacodium Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

Heptacodium
Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)