Fringe Tree (Old Man’s Beard)—Chionanthus virginicus

Small | Deciduous | Height: 12-30 feet | Spread: 12-20 feet

This plant grows best in full to part sun with the best foliage in partial shade and the best flowering in full sun. Plant in average to rich, well-drained neutral to alkaline soil. It can tolerate clay soil, however, and tolerates some drought. Small plants are best transplanted when young because larger plants resent disturbance at their roots.

Growing about 6-10 inches each year, Fringetree generally grows 12 to 20 feet tall and wide, with a multi-stemmed rounded habit, though it can be trained into a single trunk. In late spring, fragrant flower clusters with creamy white fringe-like petals appear and will attract pollinators. A clear yellow color provides brightness to the fall landscape, and the bark, with its scaly dark brown ridges and red furrows, brings winter interest.

The showy blue-black fruits, maturing in late summer, provide a food source for birds and wildlife. You might see a blue-headed vireo and the laurel sphinx moth, as well.

More information on the characteristics and cultivation of this species can be found at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chionanthus-virginicus.