Chionanthus virginicus

Photos by Mark Dwyer

I finally located, purchased and planted a specimen of white fringetree (USDA Zones 3-9) in my backyard this spring after many years of searching locally for a retail specimen. This low-maintenance, durable and tough tree deserves wider acclaim and use. Native in parts of the Central and Eastern United States, this olive family (Oleaceae) member is a wonderful large shrub or small tree in the landscape. The East Asian counterpart, Chionanthus retusus, has similar characteristics to our native species but less hardiness (USDA Zones 6-9). Frequently purchased and grown as a multi-stemmed selection with a rounded habit, this species can be trained to a single stem and typically reaches 20’ tall and 20’ wide in the landscape although specimens in the wild have reached 30’+ at maturity. Notably slow-growing at 6-10” of annual growth, the fringetree is late to show foliage but coinciding with leaf emergence, produces an amazing display of creamy-white, fringed, fragrant panicles (6-8” long) that offer a delicate, sweet, spicy fragrance in spring. The flowers appear on “old wood” which may guide/direct pruning efforts. The dark green, spear-shaped, waxy leaves are oppositely arranged and have a lighter green underside. This plant exhibits moderate deer resistance as well as both urban and pollution tolerance.

There are both male and female specimens of fringetree, both featuring the beautiful flowers. While the male form has slightly larger flowers, the females, when properly pollinated, will also form an ovoid, 1/2” to 2/3” drupe (resembles an olive) that ripen in clusters from blue to black in summer until fall. The fruits are eaten by over 75 species of birds including wild turkeys, blue jays, cardinals and mockingbirds. The fall color of C. virginicus will range from a muted yellow to a more impressive gold which combines nicely with the colorful, maturing fruits on the female selections.

Tolerating full sun to quite a bit of shade, white fringetree prefers, rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soils but can tolerate some clay, drought and a more neutral pH. This plant does not like overly wet or poorly drained soils and has minimal salt tolerance. Selections in more shade exhibit better foliage appearance although those in full sun are more floriferous. Notably, this plant is sensitive to being planted in proximity to walnuts (Juglans) and hickories (Carya). Fringetree rarely has insect or disease problems which when evident, are usually related to plant stress. In 2014, emerald ash borers had been observed to damage fringetrees which are in the same family as their primary ash (Fraxinus) targets. Propagation of white fringetree is primarily by seed which exhibit a double dormancy that prompts specific stratification approaches and/or patience. There are cultivars of white fringetree out on the market to include ‘Emerald Knight’, Prodigy (‘CVSTF’) and ‘Spring Fleecing’. These all have subtle differences in foliage coloration, form or flower volume from the straight species.