Heptacodium miconioides

Can anyone comment on the likelihood of this shrub developing invasive potential? It's getting a lot of buzz these days, and looks inviting but... We garden mostly with native plants. Oh, we make exceptions, as for my fascination with dwarf conifers and my partner's peony habit; but we try hard not to plant anything with an invasive track record or the potential to acquire one. Because this plant is relatively new in the trade, at least in general commerce, I don't want to find out years down the road that I've planted a monster. My instinct is to wait and see, but I wondered if others have experience with the plant. Thanks for any help!

I really like the plant and wandering around the botanical gardens haven't seen any seedlings or issues that would make me think it is invasive. It does get big - much bigger than I originally thought. The blooms and red calyxs come at a different time of year than other things.

How big, growin? I've heard in the 15' range for this shrub. Much taller would hit the power line and have to be butchered in the site I had in mind.

I've seen a few of them at around 25' they were probaly 25 years old, maybe a little older. I also don't believe that I've ever heard of them spreading that much if at all.

Thanks, redchic. If it doesn't have an invasive potential that will make it a mistake I'd regret down the road, I could always site it in a different spot.

that's for certain. I think that you'll really like the tree. They have many qualities and very few downsides as far as I can tell.

Pruning every few years would be a good idea. Other than that a very tolerant and happy growing shrub. The ones I've seen are about 10'.

Growin, is the pruning for shaping or for health? Just curious since I know this plant only from what I've read and seen, not from growing experience.

Nursery near me has a six year old heptacodium which is over 20 feet tall. It is in part shade in an area the horticulturalist uses to show customers (and find out herself) how things do in non -optimum conditions. She attributes the fast growth to almost continually moist soil in that area.

spartacusaby . . .Took a photo and did a montage to show how fast a heptacodium can grow in zone 6b with about 6 hours of morning sun (and lots of water & fertilizer).

Photo on left taken on Sept 23rd shortly after planting. Photo on right taken this morning:

My my, David_Paul: thanks! Those pictures are definitely worth a thousand words; that sucker grows fast!

Thanks for the photos and thoughts about this tree. I planted one last summer and it seems to be growing fairly fast without much help from me. Maybe I will give it some fertilizer to speed it up a little. I'm excited about seeing if it will bloom this year.

Lincolnite....you should definately have blooms. I purchased mine at an and of the season sale last Sept . One gallon pot. A scraggly, ratty looking plant only garden nuts would pick out. Some buds were already on it and, as you can see in the photo above, it blossomed the last week in the month.