Two for identification, please.

[Paddy Tobin]

Mary and I visited two garden last week, Mount Usher in Co. Wicklow and Mount Congreve in Waterford and came on this tree/large shrub which we couldn't recognise. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, there is this flowering plant which puzzled us in Mount Usher. Any ideas?

Paddy

[TheOnionMan]

Mary and I visited two garden last week, Mount Usher in Co. Wicklow and Mount Congreve in Waterford and came on this tree/large shrub which we couldn't recognise. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, there is this flowering plant which puzzled us in Mount Usher. Any ideas?

Paddy

Paddy, I don't know the second one, but the first one is Heptacodium miconioides, the Seven Sons Tree.
http://www.rainyside.com/plant_gallery/shrubs/Heptacodium_miconioides.html

[johnw]

Mary and I visited two garden last week, Mount Usher in Co. Wicklow and Mount Congreve in Waterford and came on this tree/large shrub which we couldn't recognise. Any help would be appreciated. Paddy

Seven Sons tree, Heptacodium miconoides.

johnw

[TheOnionMan]

Here are some photos of my Heptacodium miconioides tree, a couple from this year, but ones showing the colorful bracts that appear Oct-Nov here (very late) are from last year, 2010.

Tree in flower, mid September 2011, this tree was grown from a cutting and planted out 4-5 years ago:




Several views of the flowers, not a great show but pleasant enough, but very sweetly scented and a real attraction for bees:




And some late views in October-November when the pink to red calyxes/bracts are the show:

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

You are a treasure; this is certainly as you have identified and, I must say, it is a very attractive tree, one I must try to source for the garden.

Many thanks for your identification and for the further photographs, very beautiful indeed.

Paddy

[TheOnionMan]

Thanks Paddy, glad I could help with one of them IDs anyways... I'm just as anxious as you probably are to find out what the other shrub is.  I haven't paid attention as to whether Heptacodium miconioides sets seed; it's so dang late in flowering and expanding the showy calyxes, that I wonder if it has enough time to set seed here, although the tree is bone hardy.  No matter for me, as the tree is very easy to root from cuttings, but I shall pay attention to see if any seed actually sets.

[arisaema]

The second one's a Ptilotus

[Paddy Tobin]

Ptilotus exaltatus - after taking your "Ptilotus" and doing a search via Google; plant identification is such a exact science in this house!

Many thanks, Arisaema. It is a pretty little plant.


Mark, should your tree set seed, I would be delighted to have a few to try it here. It is attractive both in foliage and flower and would be a welcome addition in the garden - if Mary will allow another tree!

Many thanks to you both, much appreciated. Paddy