A friend of mine once said she loves fall, because that’s when she feels justified in ripping out all of her annuals and veggies. Ever feel like summer’s just dragging on and on? Missing the bright freshness your garden had in spring? If you’re looking for a few good plants for summer interest, consider planting one of these beauties:
The demure white blooms of seven-son flower drop off to reveal dark red sepals that last until winter.
Photo Credit: Lane Greer
Sourwood produces lots of white flowers in summer…
Photo Credit: Lane Greer
…then turns glowing shades of red and orange in fall.
Photo Credit: Lane Greer
Golden rain tree gets its name thanks to its brilliant yellow flowers that seem to “rain” from the tree.
Photo Credit: Lane Greer
Seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is often referred to as “the crapemyrtle of the North.” But don’t let that title fool you. Although this deciduous tree flowers in late summer and has interesting bark, it’s nothing like a crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia).
The plant is interesting in a subtle way. Its name, seven-son flower, derives from the fact that the flowers are arranged in clusters of seven. These small, fragrant blooms are white (no bright reds and watermelon pinks here), but the flowers fall off to reveal very showy, dusky red sepals that last all season long. The bark isn’t muscular like crapemyrtle – it peels off to reveal tan, pink and cinnamon underneath.
Hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5-8, seven-son flower grows fast in full sun (or some shade in the Deep South), and butterflies love it! It reaches 15-20 feet tall and 8 feet wide in a loose, vaselike shape with an open profile. You can plant it in almost any soil. And even better: It’s overall pest-free.
Seven-son flower blooms on the current year’s wood, so you can cut it back in early spring, just as you would butterflybush. To get new plants, take cuttings in summer.
Another summer-flowering tree is sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), a southeast US native. The white flowers form long panicles, or branching flower clusters, that open in midsummer. Perhaps even better than the flowers are the bright orange and scarlet colors in fall.
Sourwood can be planted in sun or shade, but the flowers and autumn colors are better in sun. Give it good soil and water during droughts. Like seven-son flower, sourwood is virtually disease- and pest-free. It’ll reach about 25-30 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide and is hardy in zones 5-9.
The most common complaint about sourwood is that it actually doesn’t grow like a tree – meaning that it has less of a classic tree shape. And this is true. When the plant is young, it can often look spindly or crooked. But with age, the tree loses that youthful awkwardness and becomes wonderfully pyramidal. Also, give it some time, since sourwood grows slowly. You’ll be amply rewarded for your patience!
Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) usually flowers in late spring or early summer. But the cultivar ‘September’ flowers in late summer, starting in August or, amazingly enough, September. The vivid yellow flowers of golden rain tree cover the tree canopy. After flowering, seed pods reminiscent of Chinese lanterns that color from chartreuse to pink to brown as they mature. If you break open these paper-like lanterns, you’ll find hard, dark brown seeds inside.
Like sourwood, golden rain tree grows about 30 feet tall. Unlike sourwood, this tree grows fast and may flower when it’s very young. ‘September’ is hardy in zones 5-9.
There are a number of other trees that flower in the summer that could really catch your interest, too. Some of them include Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha), a few magnolia species like Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), Chinese scholartree (Sophora japonica), stewartia (Stewartia) and the diminutive vitex (Vitex agnus-castus).
Like my friend, you can love fall, too, but love it for the right reasons. Rather than growing tired of your garden, vivify it with interesting summer bloomers!
