조경수

칠자화(2)

오솔길(서울) 2010. 10. 4. 13:04

 칠자화(七子花  ; seven son flower)는 여름부터 가을까지 향기로운 꽃과 장식용 열매를 즐길 수 있는  우수한 수종입니다.

여름에는 자스민의 향기가 나는 흰색꽃을 1개월이상 즐길 수 있고

가을에는 빨간색의 장식용 열매가 마치 꽃핀것처럼 예뻐서

언뜻보면 한그루 나무에서 여름에는 흰색꽃이 피고 가을에는 빨간색 꽃이 피는 것으로

착각되어질 만큼  매력있는 수종인지라  가을 라일락(Autumn lilac) 이라고도 불리고 있답니다....

이 수종은 오로지 중국의 일부지역(절강성)에서만 소량이 자생하고있어

원산지인 중국에서는 이 나무를 국가멸종위기 2급 식물로 지정하여 보호하고 있답니다.

나무이름이 칠자화(七子花  ; seven son flower)라고 지어진 이유는 

꽃대가지마다 7송이의 꽃이 피는 특성이 있어서 붙여진 이름이라고 하네요...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* 아래 사진의 왼쪽 위가 씨앗(그 아랫쪽이 씨앗이고 위쪽은 가을에 붉게 물들었던 장식용 날개) 로서 코스모스 씨앗과 비슷하게 생겼습니다.

Habitat

            native to China , zone 5

Habit and Form

  • a deciduous large shrub or small tree
  • oldest plants in the United States are 15' to 20' tall
  • multi-stemmed or single-stemmed
  • upright branching and growth
  • develops a loose, rounded or irregular crown 

Summer Foliage

  • simple, deciduous leaves
  • opposite leaf arrangement
  • leaves are 2" to 6" long and about half as wide
  • rounded base and acuminate tip
  • dark green mature color
  • foliage is of high quality 

Autumn Foliage

  • poor
  • yellow-green

Flowers

  • fragrant white small flowers
  • borne in 6" long panicles
  • bloom time is late August and September
  • showy and attract butterflies

 

Fruit

  • capsules that can retain sepals
  • sepals change from green to burgundy an last up to 3 weeks
  • sepals are as showy as the flowers 

Bark

  • exfoliating tan bark
  • bark comes off in strips and is reminiscent of crape myrtle or beautybush
  • attractive 

Culture

  • full sun is best
  • soil adaptable, but prefers a moist, well-drained fertile soil
  • easily transplanted and grown
  • may need some pruning to tame errant shoots

Landscape Use

  • specimen
  • in small groups
  • for late summer flowers
  • for colored sepals in fall
  • for attractive bark

Liabilities

  • a new plant and therefore a bit hard to find for sale
  • stem dieback possibly due to canker
  • many plants especially those in shade do not seem to develop retained sepals
  • buck deer like to rub their antlers on the trunks

ID Features

  • exfoliating tan bark
  • \late summer white flowers
  • red sepals in fall
  • leaves have 3 parallel main veins

Propagation

  • by cuttings
  • by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

 

This plant was introduced into the United States in the 1980 and is therefore still uncommon. Cultivars have not yet been selected.

GARDENER'S JOURNAL

As summer draws to a close and the days grow shorter, September brings a plethora of flower color to the garden.

Herbaceous perennials like aster, chrysanthemum, sedum, goldenrod, Japanese anemone,

and many ornamental grasses dominate the garden and provide the most flowering.

After late summer in New England, only a handful of woody plants continue to bloom, including roses, hibiscus, hydrangea and sumac that are finishing their bloom periods.

Among the very few winter-hardy trees and shrubs that start their bloom after August are the native witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) and sweet autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata). None of these, however, have proved as reliable and spectacular as the seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides). Because it is so underutilized in the landscape and exhibits such attractive features every season of the year, it was recognized in 2002 as a Cary Award winner (go to www.CaryAward.com).

Originally brought to the United States as a herbarium specimen in the early 1900s by Ernest Wilson at the Arnold Arboretum, Heptacodium remained obscure until 1980, when a Sino-American Botanical Expedition provided seeds and the opportunity to introduce living plants to North America.

A member of the honeysuckle family, its scientific name combines the Greek terms "hepta" (seven) and "codium" (poppyhead), and when translated from the Chinese name becomes "seven-son flower from Zhejiang." There is concern that it may now be extinct in its original Chinese habitat.

Heptacodium is generally offered for sale as a multi-stem shrub, and it can be trained to grow as a single trunk or low-branched tree, well suited for small spaces. Ultimately reaching about 20 feet, it can grow as much as 3 feet in a single year, and its angular branches are readily pruned to shape when young. Its shiny, downward-pointing, heart-shaped curved leaves emerge early in spring (by late April in Hopkinton), becoming dark green and remaining pest-free all spring and summer. Autumn foliage is yellow-green with silvery undersides, holding into November.

It thrives in full sun or light shade in New England soils without much care, even in dry conditions, once established.

In Hopkinton, the fragrant creamy-white flowers open progressively in early September in groups of seven, clustered at the ends of the current year's growth, and persist for two weeks or more, attracting butterflies and bees. As the flower petals drop, a unique display of red-purple begins, as the bases of the flowers (calyces) expand to surround the developing seeds. This color is the most spectacular feature of this plant (particularly when back-lit by the sun), easily surpassing the beauty of the flowers and intensifying for many weeks, until the fruit matures or frost ends the season.

During winter, the exfoliating papery, whitish, ginger- and grey-colored bark shreds attractively in narrow strips from the stems and trunk, exposing the smooth, blond-tan color beneath. This feature alone qualifies Heptacodium as one of the most attractive choices for the winter garden. Sited against a background of dark green or blue conifers, or alone in the center of the garden surrounded by snow, it draws every eye.

Based upon at least 20 years of experience, experts consider Heptacodium to be perfectly winter hardy in Zone 5, showing no dieback or stem damage from cold temperatures or wind exposure.

The market availability of seven-son flower plants has increased significantly in recent years, and even large plants are readily available at many garden centers. Horticulturists who appreciate the value plants like this afford are excited about offering it to their clients. But, as with many newer plants coming to the market, consumers tend to be skeptical about unfamiliar products, and this is a perfect example.

This autumn, take advantage of this opportunity and choose a spot for Heptacodium in your yard - you'll be rewarded with many years of all-season enjoyment.

Seven-son-flower has multiple assets

PHOTO: seven-son-flowerSeldom do we see a plant take the market by storm when newly introduced. Without the backing of a million-dollar advertising campaign, plants may take many years to become recognized by even the most avid horticulturists.

Heptacodium miconioides, or seven-son-flower, is a perfect example of a plant that remained unrecognized years after its introduction and is only now being rediscovered. Although it was first collected in 1907 by E. H. Wilson during an expedition to China, it wasn't until 1916 that a colleague of Wilson's, Alfred Rehder, actually attached a name to the collected specimens. Hepta- means "seven," and -codium refers to the flower head.

Then for nearly 65 years, Heptacodium was forgotten. But in 1980, another expedition to China resulted in the collection of viable seeds of this rare genus. Seeds and cuttings were then distributed by the Arnold Arboretum and the U.S. National Aboretum to several botanical institutions and nurseries. Since that time, the genus has gradually gained popularity. A member of the Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle) family, the plant is related to viburnum and forsythia.

Heptacodium is an outstanding specimen plant. Grown as a small tree or large shrub, its multistemmed habit reaches 15 to 25 feet with a spread of up to 12 feet. Plants thrive in full sun but have been known to flower and remain healthy in partial shade. However, in shadier conditions, plants tend to develop a loose, irregular habit.

During early May, the glossy leaves emerge and remain attractive throughout the season. In late summer, at a time when few other woody plants are in bloom, creamy white, jasminelike blossoms emerge from the tips of the branches. The blooms are sweetly fragrant and persist for several weeks. To maintain this late bloomer's attractive shape, Heptacodium must be pruned judiciously during the winter before flower buds have formed.

While the flowers offer an exceptional display of their own, the most stunning trait of Heptacodium arrives after the flowers are spent. In early fall, the flowers mature and develop small, inconspicuous fruits surrounded by a persistent calyx (the ring of petallike leaves that forms the outer layer of a flower). The calyces turn a bright cherry red, resulting in another spectacular, eye-catching display.

Even during winter with flowers and foliage absent, the plants offer aesthetic interest. The bark is a light brown that exfoliates to expose a deeper brown beneath, resembling the river birch, Betula nigra, but lighter in color.

Heptacodium can be seen in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Sensory Garden and the Pullman Shade Plant Evaluation Garden, where it thrives in dappled shade. The plants there are pruned annually for aesthetics and to control random suckering. Plants have performed well and flowered consistently each year. Researchers at the Garden have been studying Heptacodium, assessing characteristics such as flowering, fruiting, growth habit, and disease and pest resistance. Observed plants have proven to be cold hardy to temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees below zero while still maintaining superior flower and fruit displays.

Discovered almost 90 years ago but officially released only 15 years ago, Heptacodium is still considered a unique plant. If its performance under evaluation continues to excel, Heptacodium has the credentials to become an integral part of Chicago’s gardens.

 

 

Seven-son flower: an autumn-flowering delight

As summer draws to a close and the days grow shorter, September brings a plethora of flower color to the garden.

Herbaceous perennials like aster, chrysanthemum, sedum, goldenrod, Japanese anemone, and many ornamental grasses dominate the garden and provide the most flowering. After late summer in New England, only a handful of woody plants continue to bloom, including roses, hibiscus, hydrangea and sumac that are finishing their bloom periods.

Among the very few winter-hardy trees and shrubs that start their bloom after August are the native witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) and sweet autumn clematis (Clematis paniculata). None of these, however, have proved as reliable and spectacular as the seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides). Because it is so underutilized in the landscape and exhibits such attractive features every season of the year, it was recognized in 2002 as a Cary Award winner (go to www.CaryAward.com).

Originally brought to the United States as a herbarium specimen in the early 1900s by Ernest Wilson at the Arnold Arboretum, Heptacodium remained obscure until 1980, when a Sino-American Botanical Expedition provided seeds and the opportunity to introduce living plants to North America.

A member of the honeysuckle family, its scientific name combines the Greek terms "hepta" (seven) and "codium" (poppyhead), and when translated from the Chinese name becomes "seven-son flower from Zhejiang." There is concern that it may now be extinct in its original Chinese habitat.

Heptacodium is generally offered for sale as a multi-stem shrub, and it can be trained to grow as a single trunk or low-branched tree, well suited for small spaces. Ultimately reaching about 20 feet, it can grow as much as 3 feet in a single year, and its angular branches are readily pruned to shape when young. Its shiny, downward-pointing, heart-shaped curved leaves emerge early in spring (by late April in Hopkinton), becoming dark green and remaining pest-free all spring and summer. Autumn foliage is yellow-green with silvery undersides, holding into November.

It thrives in full sun or light shade in New England soils without much care, even in dry conditions, once established.

In Hopkinton, the fragrant creamy-white flowers open progressively in early September in groups of seven, clustered at the ends of the current year's growth, and persist for two weeks or more, attracting butterflies and bees. As the flower petals drop, a unique display of red-purple begins, as the bases of the flowers (calyces) expand to surround the developing seeds. This color is the most spectacular feature of this plant (particularly when back-lit by the sun), easily surpassing the beauty of the flowers and intensifying for many weeks, until the fruit matures or frost ends the season.

During winter, the exfoliating papery, whitish, ginger- and grey-colored bark shreds attractively in narrow strips from the stems and trunk, exposing the smooth, blond-tan color beneath. This feature alone qualifies Heptacodium as one of the most attractive choices for the winter garden. Sited against a background of dark green or blue conifers, or alone in the center of the garden surrounded by snow, it draws every eye.

Based upon at least 20 years of experience, experts consider Heptacodium to be perfectly winter hardy in Zone 5, showing no dieback or stem damage from cold temperatures or wind exposure.

The market availability of seven-son flower plants has increased significantly in recent years, and even large plants are readily available at many garden centers. Horticulturists who appreciate the value plants like this afford are excited about offering it to their clients. But, as with many newer plants coming to the market, consumers tend to be skeptical about unfamiliar products, and this is a perfect example.

This autumn, take advantage of this opportunity and choose a spot for Heptacodium in your yard - you'll be rewarded with many years of all-season enjoyment.


Propagation
Seeds require 5 months warm and 3 months cold. July cuttings 10 to 15cm long, 10,000ppm IBA, with 81% rooting by October.

Soak seed 24 hours; warm stratify in moist peat for 5 months in a resealable baggie. Check often and transplant those that have germinated. After 5 months have passed, cold stratify for 3 months then return to warmth. Friend of mine had a success rate of 50% using this method....where as the folks at Arnold Arboretum had 14% with theirs. I have yet to germinate this and will be using my Skookum solution...so stay tuned!

 

Cultivation and Propagation Information
Seven-son flower transplants readily from containers. Plants grow well in moist soils and full sun, but the species is adaptable to dry, acid soils and partial shade. Propagation is by seed and softwood cuttings. Seed requires both cold treatment and scarification. Stem cuttings taken in spring and summer root under mist.

Cultivation:
Soak seed 24 hours; warm stratify in moist peat for 5 months in a resealable baggie. Check often and transplant those that have germinated. After 5 months have passed, cold stratify for 3 months then return to warmth. Friend of mine had a success rate of 50% using this method....where as the folks at Arnold Arboretum had 14% with theirs. I have yet to germinate this and will be using my Skookum solution...so stay tuned!

 

  • Propagation

     

    1. Root stem cuttings of evergreen shrubs in the summer, taking short cuttings of mature new growth, stripping or pruning off the lower leaves, and sticking into moist potting soil or well-drained garden soil kept in bright indirect light and high humidity.
    2. Root stem cuttings of deciduous shrubs in the fall or late winter
    3. Keep cuttings moist 4-6 weeks until well rooted, then transplant into individual containers
    4. Rooting hormones increase the likelihood of rooting, but are not necessary for most plants.

     

  • 제가 조경수로 재배하려고 미국의 농장과 계약하여 미국현지에서 배양중인 칠자화 삽목묘 모습입니다.

    금년 가을이나 내년 봄에 수입할 예정이며, 일부수량은 분양희망신청자 몇분께만 한정 분양할 계획입니다. 

     

     

    << 칠자화(七子花)의 특성 >>

     

    학 명: Heptacodium miconioides / 영 명: Seven-Son Flower


    여름부터 가을까지(8~11월) 향기로운 꽃과 장식용 열매를 즐길 수 있는 

       수종입니다.

     

       여름에는 자스민향기가 나는 흰색꽃1개월이상 즐길 수 있고

       가을에는 빨간색장식용 열매가 마치 꽃처럼 예뻐서

       한그루 나무에서 여름- 흰색꽃,  가을- 빨간색 꽃이 피는 것으로

       착각되어질 만큼  매력있는 수종인지라  가을 라일락(Autumn lilac) 이라고도 합니다.

       (꽃향이 진하고 꿀이 많아서 개화기에는 나비와 꿀벌이 많이 날아듭니다)

     

       겨울철에 매력있는 가볍게 벗겨지는 매력적인 나무수피로 관상가치가 탁월한 화목류로
       개화기는 8월부터 11월까지 즐기는 훌륭한 정원수, 공원수, 가로수이다.

    추위에 강하여 전국 노지월동이 가능하고, 성장속도가 빠른 속성수이면서

       수형관리 없이도 스스로 멋진 수형을 형성할 뿐만 아니라,

       병충해에도 매우 강한 특성을 지닌 수종입니다.

     

       도심의 기후환경에도 잘 적응하고 내한성, 내공해성, 내건성, 내염성 등이 강하고,

        양지는 물론 반음지에서도 잘 자라는 수종으로서, 통상 높이 5~6미터(최대 12미터)까지

        성장하여, 미국과 유럽 등에서는 훌륭한 고급정원수, 공원수, 가로수로 각광받고 있습니다.

     

    이 수종은 오로지 중국 절강성의 특정지역에서만 소량이 자생하고 있던 것을   

       1906년 미국 탐사대원이었던 윌슨이 수집하여 아놀드 국립수목원에 식재한뒤

       번식하여 1980년대부터 고급조경수로 미국과 유럽에 조금씩 보급되었으며,

       2008년도에는 미국에서 최우수 조경수종으로 선정되는 영광을 얻었습니다.

     

       이 수종은 원산지인 중국에서도 1980년대에 자생지가 소멸되어 자연상태에서는 사라졌으며,

       중국정부에서 국가멸종위기 2급식물로 지정하여 항주식물원에 식재하여 보호(반출,판매금지)

       하고 있고, 주로 미국의 소수 농장에서 배양되는 물량만이 보급되고 있는 관계로 수요에 비해

       공급물량이 절대 부족한 상황입니다.

     

       이웃나라 일본에서도 2008년경에 히로시마의 한 농장이 미국에서 묘목수입하여 배양하여

       판매를 시작(현지 판매가격 25,000~35,000원 정도)하였지만 수량이 많지 않아 현지에서도

       구입이 어려운 상황입니다.