Despite the heat over the summer and lack of rainfall making for tricky growing conditions, it has made for a bumper display of berries and late flowers. Here are a few highlights to look out for in September…

Hydrangea paniculata has had a remarkable season, there are a variety of cultivars throughout the arboretum. The large, dense panicles are currently at their peak. Notably, Hydrangea paniculata ‘phantom’ features exceptionally large flowers near Dolphin Pool, while Hydrangea paniculata ‘Kyushu’ boasts elegant, slender, white conical flowers found at the upper end of the stream.

Euonymus, known as spindles, displays four-lobed pink capsules that open to reveal small orange seeds. Additionally, early leaf colours of red, purple, and orange are beginning to glow.

Sorbus berries are appearing in shades of red, pink, and white, accompanied by the striking red, waxy hips of Rosa moyesii ‘Geranium’.

Heptacodium miconioides, a shrub that has thrived in warm conditions, is producing more fragrant flowers due to earlier blooming.

Clerodendron bungei, commonly referred to as the glory flower, features small clusters of pink blooms and can be spotted near the swamp.

Ornamental flowering dogwoods will begin showcasing their pink, strawberry-like fruits, which will be particularly impressive by mid-September.

 

As you stroll around, you might catch a whiff of the sweet scent reminiscent of burnt sugar emanating from the leaves of the Cercidiphyllum (Katsura tree).