Alluring Alliums and Seven-Son Flower
Allium senescens ‘Glaucum’ Great foliage and flowers combine to make this cute perennial impressive spring through fall. Personally it’s the leaves that I really adore. Twisting, swirling, blue-green foliage create fun ‘corsages’ that stay low to the ground. Round, lilac-pink flowers spring forth in late summer and are soon covered by happy butterflies. At 6”-12” tall in bloom, ‘Glaucum’ belongs in the front of the garden. It makes the most striking display when planted in mass. ‘Blue Eddy’ is another good cultivar to check out. Both make great container plants. ‘Glaucum’ enjoys full sun, is highly drought tolerant, detested by deer and can be planted near Black Walnut. It is hardy in Zones 4 – 10. (photo Denver Botanic Gardens)
Heptacodium miconioides – Seven-Son Flower While at the recent Perennial Plant Association’s meeting at The Gardens of Elm Bank (Wellesley, MA), I was stopped in my tracks by a loud buzzing sound. I turned to see what was making the noise and I saw a tree covered with honey bees and other pollinators. I’ve never witnessed anything like it. The star attraction was Heptacodium miconioides, commonly called Seven-Son Flower. (photo Broken Arrow Nursery)
This grand plant can be grown as a multi-stem shrub or trained as a single trunk, small tree. The fragrant white flowers appear in late summer. The name Seven-Son Flower relates to the fact that each flower cluster is actually comprised of 7 tiny flowers. After this heavenly floral display that triggers a bee orgy, the plant becomes even more dazzling. The resulting small purplish-red fruits are surrounded by cherry-red calyces (calyx are petal-like leaves that form the outer layer of a flower). The fall display is magnificent.
And still the show isn’t over. Seven-Son Flower has striking exfoliating bark for winter interest. The shaggy bark looks a little like River Birch, but the color is a lighter tan. (photo taken at Elm Bank. Seven-Son Flower in bloom with Amsonia and Miscanthus in front of it)
Seven-Son Flower grows best in full sun. It can reach 15’-20’ feet and is hardy to Zone 5, if not colder in protected areas. To learn more about this fascinating shrub, visit Chicago Botanic Garden’s review.