One of my favourite shrubs in the garden, Heptacodium miconioides, is now coming into bloom. I am always grateful when it blooms before the first frosts, this happened it's first 2 years in my garden.
I hadn't realised until now that the bark had interest too.
Posts
I have one too, which is also in flower. It is quite attractive to insects, and has some scent.
A lovely shrub.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I've found it really brittle and, therefore, don't stock it in the garden centre because it gets so damaged in any foot traffic. It also flowers so late that it gets missed, which is a real shame. Another favourite of mine, abeliophyllum distichum is budded up, ready for a few months' time, next to chimonanthus, which will beat it. There are fewer and fewer special and unusual plants available now because the growers are driven by what they can sell to garden centres and garden centres won't spend out on shrubs that people don't know or want. I fell into that trap 6 years ago when I stocked up, with plants that I liked! Oops, still got some of them! But I still refuse to go down the popular route.
However, I do keep my eye out for that rarity, the evergreen shrub that flowers all year, makes a screen to hide the neighbour's shed or new extension but doesn't need pruning and grows in dry shade or full sun.
H-C
That'll be the plastic one H-C
I agree re the lack of availability of anything unusual. very hard to get away from the bog standard repetitive planting. I got my Heptacodium as a rooted cutting from a place that doesn't exist any more.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Pleased that you put this up. We have a Heptacodium not sure if it is H. miconioides as i do not recognise the name, but it is in flower now and the label has long gone. Good and long lived as it has been in the border for nearly 20 years now.
Think we bought it as H. jasminioides which is now list as a synonym, which is why I did not recognise the new name.
Last edited: 29 September 2016 17:48:06
Thanks all.
AlanClark2 - nice to read someone else has it. Not very common here in the UK and I think H-C hit the nail on the head with all his comments.
Glad you like it Nutcutlet.
H-C Your comments re brittle etc is right. Although now mine's is a good bit bigger you don't really notice it quite so much. I've just looked up the Abeliophyllum distichum, that is pretty and the Chimonanthus once took my fancy but ruled it out thinking it would not like my exposed garden. I am lucky in the fact that a couple of my local nurseries are independent and you can usually pick up a few nice/rarer plants. If I ever come across that rarity you mention I will let you know immediately...wink wink!
Nutcutlet - I note that the local nursery I bought mine in no longer have it listed on their website. They have it in their grounds and I seem to remember Billy telling me that they only ever have it in stock if it sends up a sucker.
Berghill - Glad you've managed to get the latest name for yours and good to read yours has lasted such a long time.
sucker
Can I expect suckers? Nothing yet and it's been there a few years now. I'll have to try some cuttings I think. Hardwood do you reckon?
re the Chimonanthus, my garden is quite exposed but it's not in the most exposed part. I waited nearly 20 years from seed for the first flowers. It's having a good year, all the early rain I think
In the sticks near Peterborough
Nutcutlet - I don't think in general it suckers, I was told only if it is pruned but considering the amount of branches/stems mines has lost over the years mine's has never produced one. Which is a shame I must admit. Cuttings? Now that's too technical for me. I'm only just mastering cuttings from perennials. Strictly amateur stuff here thus far!
I've just had a look on the RHS site - they suggest semi-rip in mid summer if that helps.
I might have a go. Cuttings are my weak spot (one of them anyway)
In the sticks near Peterborough