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Current Plant Highlights

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September

Franklinia alatamaha

Rose Lantern

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Heptacodium miconioides

Acer rubrum 'Schlesingerii'

Viburnum dilatatum

Franklinia alatamaha—named for Benjamin Franklin—has not been found growing in the wild since soon after its discovery along Georgia's Alatamaha River in the late 1700s; it is currently known only in cultivation. Its three-inch-wide flowers—white with yellow centers—appear in September and sometimes last into October, when the tree's orange-to-red fall foliage gives them a spectacular backdrop. The tree reaches 10 to 20 feet in height and may have either one or multiple stems. The Arboretum's specimens, located on Chinese Path, are the oldest documented specimens in the country (accessioned in 1905).

The typical goldenraintree, Koelreuteria paniculata, flowers in July, but the cultivar 'Rose Lantern' presents its golden yellow flowers much later, in September. After its flowers have faded, the pink fruit of 'Rose Lantern' is just as showy; the papery capsules are reminiscent of Chinese lanterns. Each capsule contains a few round, black seeds. Goldenraintree tolerates difficult environmental conditions, including drought, heat, wind, alkaline soils, and air pollution. This tough constitution makes it a wonderful choice for urban sites. Specimens of both the species and the cultivar, which reach 30 to 40 feet in height, can be found on the west side of Meadow Road, just past the horse chestnut collection.

The dawn redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is a majestic tree that is closely associated with the Arnold Arboretum; in fact, it is depicted in the Arboretum's logo. Though the tree was thought to be extinct, the Arboretum contributed funds to collect seed from a newly discovered grove of the trees in China in 1946. After obtaining the seed, the Arboretum distributed it widely and grew a number of specimens here on the grounds, helping to save the tree from extinction. A deciduous conifer, its feathery, green foliage turns a distinct orange-brown in the fall. Once the needles have dropped, the beautifully buttressed trunk covered with red-brown, peeling bark is visible for winter appreciation. An individual specimen of Metasequoia glyptostroboides is located on the east side of Meadow Road just past the Hunnewell Building, and a small grove of trees can be found along Willow Path near the main entrance to the Arboretum.

The seven-son flower, Heptacodium miconioides, gets its common and generic names from its fragrant, white flowers, arranged in clusters of seven. Though the flowers are attractive, the mauve-to-rose fruits and sepals that appear in autumn are even showier. The bark is also ornamental, peeling off in creamy-white strips, much as does Kolkwitzia, the beautybush, also included in Caprifoliaceae. H. miconioides was introduced to North America by the Arnold Arboretum immediately following the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition to Hubei Province. Several fine plants can be found atop Bussey Hill, along Chinese Path.

Acer rubrum 'Schlesingerii' is one of the earliest red maples to develop autumn leaf color (a reddish-purple), usually three to four weeks before any others. It was selected by the Arboretum's first director Charles S. Sargent in the 1880s after he observed it growing on the property of a Mr. Schlesinger in neighboring Brookline, MA. The specimen growing across from the Hunnewell building, planted in 1888, is one of the first clones produced.

Viburnum dilatatum, the linden viburnum, is an attractive Japanese shrub whose ornamental attributes include dark green leaves that turn red to bronze in the autumn and abundant creamy-white flowers that become bright red fruits. The species is frequently used as a specimen or in border plantings. Several choice plants can be found along Meadow Road, across from the lilacs.