Arty's Garden: Fringe Tree Deserves to be in the Mainstream

Originally published in the April 30, 2014, issue

 

It’s sometimes hard to agree on how to describe Chionanthus virginicus. It goes by several common names including fringe tree, old man’s beard and grancy graybeard. The latter is a corruption of “grand sir graybeard” because the frilly flowers look like the beard of a distinguished old gentleman (think Santa Claus or Col. Sanders).

 

Despite the “fringe tree” label, it is sometimes more of a large shrub than a tree. And the flowers don’t look like typical flowers. They do look like fringe or a beard, or white Spanish moss, confetti, fleece, fluffs of cotton and cotton candy.

 

Though some British garden writers consider the fringe tree one of the most beautiful of American plants, Elizabeth Lawrence, the renowned American garden writer, was less impressed. She wrote that the flowers reminded her of slaw. Well, the petals are narrow with a shredded appearance and do start out green before turning white, but I think I’ll have to disagree with Lawrence on this.

 

To me, when the fringe tree is in bloom it looks like it has reached into the sky and captured a cloud in its branches. I saw a spectacular specimen on a rainy afternoon several years ago. It was as if a bank of fog had rolled in and was caught in the tree. Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist and taxonomist, also had weather in mind when he affixed the genus name: Chionanthus means “snow flower.”

 

There is a Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus) that is generally more treelike with slightly larger flowers that open later in the spring. It is a fine tree, but in my eyes does not measure up to our native fringe tree. Ours looks distinctly different from other flowering trees and has an air of mystery the Chinese species lacks.

 

Our native fringe tree is a good choice if you are looking for something other than the more common flowering cherries or crabapples. Adults appreciate its unique beauty and gentle fragrance. Children also think the flowers are pretty and enjoy using them to make pretend beards. It tolerates a wide range of conditions and is easy to grow.  Like so many of our native plants, grancy graybeard/fringe tree/old man’s beard, whatever you call it, should be more widely planted. 

 

Arty Schronce is the Department’s resident gardening expert. He is a lifelong gardener and a horticulture graduate of North Carolina State University who encourages everyone to learn about the thousands of plant options to choose from by visiting a nursery, garden center or public garden.