Chinese Fringe Tree Chionanthus retusus

What kind of plant is as tough as nails, has gorgeous foliage, snow-white flowers, and exfoliating bark? It’s the Chinese fringetree. It's native to Korea, China, and Japan. This easy-to-grow deciduous tree displays a showy, white, clustered bloom that appears like fringe each spring.  While the male plant has showier flowers than the female, the attractive fruits that birds and some mammals use as a food source only appears on the female plant.  

Sometimes grown as a multi-stemmed large shrub, Chinese fringetree can develop into a modest-sized tree, ranging in height from 10 to 20 feet. Under ideal conditions, it can reach heights up to 30 to 40 feet tall.  Transplant this Asian native into a location with full sun or partial shade. The lustrous, leathery foliage looks best when grown in some light shade (dappled sunlight), while the flowering is heaviest when planted in full sun. This tree tends to flower better in alternate years.  The only real downside is that is it frequently damaged by deer.

The Chinese fringetree is an excellent choice anywhere a small tree is needed. It is well suited for most Carolina landscapes, due to its adaptability to our varied soil types. Use as a specimen tree or in a mixed shrub border. Like many white-flowered plants, the fringetree looks especially pretty transplanted in front of a dark evergreen backdrop.

Insect Disease and other Pest Problems: Frequently damaged by deer.  No serious insect or diseases.  Leaf spot, canker and powdery mildew are an occasional issue.  Borers, mites and scale are a minor issue.  

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.