Chionanthus virginicus
White Fringetree
Please register or login to build your personal plant list.White Fringetree is a small, deciduous tree with a spreading, rounded crown. It is usually dioecious (separate male and female trees); a male tree...
Description:
White Fringetree is a small, deciduous tree with a spreading, rounded crown. It is usually dioecious (separate male and female trees); a male tree must be in the area to pollinate females for fruit production. Drooping clusters of slightly fragrant, showy, white flowers bloom May-June on both male and female trees; the male flowers tend to be showier than the female ones. The female flowers are followed by round fruits, which ripen to a dark bluish-black in late summer. The fruits provide food for birds and other wildlife. The wide, dark green leaves turn yellow in the fall. White Fringetree is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Rustic sphinx (Manduca rustica). Use it as speciman tree in small yards, or grow in groups as a border, tall hedge, or screen. It makes a good urban tree due to its high tolerance of air pollution.
Plant Details:
Plant Type: Tree
New Jersey Native: Yes
Bloom Times: Late Spring to Early Summer
Bloom Colors: White
Deer Resistance: None
Attracts Pollinators and Wildlife: Butterflies, Birds
Salt Tolerance: Low to None
Hardiness Zone: 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Physiographic Region: Piedmont - P, Coastal Plain - CP
Soil Characteristics
Soil Type: Loam, Organic, Sandy, Clay
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Soil pH: Acidic, Slightly Acidic, Neutral
Light Needs of Plant
Optimal Light: Partial Shade
Light Range: Full Sun, Partial Shade
Water Needs of Plant
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: Low
Size and Growth Rate
Height: 12 - 20 ft
Spread: 10 - 15 ft
Growth Rate: Slow