Heptacodium miconioides

Last Saturday, I took my students on another Ladew field trip.  While there, we noticed the flowers buds on a very large specimen of Heptacodium miconioides or seven son flower.  Unfortunately I rarely teach and take photos at the same time, so today I'm posting a photo of a specimen at Kurt Bluemel's nursery. 

Heptacodium is a rarity and horticultural buffs love this plant.  It seldom grows higher than 15' so seeing specimens like this one and the one at Ladew is a special treat.  A member of the honeysuckle (or Caprifoliaceae) family, the plant has two ranks of long, strappy leaves and the panicles of white flowers occur from the center of the stem.  The leaves are particularly unusual, as the midrib vein has two additional prominent veins that run parallel and to each side of it. The bark is putty colored and very stringy or fibrous.  Habit, if left unpruned, is quite wild, though it can be shaped quite well.  Dirr:
Upright, irregular, loose, almost artistic; grows to its own beat." (Emphasis mine.)

The infloresences consist of seven solitary flowers, thus the name Heptacodium.  Hepta of course means seven and -codium is referring to heads.  It's thus a pretty direct translation for seven son flower.  Miconioides means it looks like a plant in the genus Miconia, which are largely tropical plants.