Latin name: Chionanthus retusus

Common name: Chinese fringe tree

Abbr: Cre

Taxonomy: Oleaceae/Oleeae/Chionanthus

References : NCBI:txid126362

Introduction: this plant is noted for its profuse spring bloom of fragrant white flowers. It is most often seen in cultivation as a large, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub growing to 10-20’ tall with a rounded, wide-spreading form. It also may be grown as a small tree (multi-trunked or trained as a single trunk), ultimately reaching up to 30-40’ tall. Terminal clusters (to 4” long) of mildly fragrant, pure white flowers with fringe-like petals bloom in late spring to early summer. Bloom appears about 2-3 weeks before that of C. virginicus. Plants are primarily dioecious (separate male and female plants), but some plants may have some perfect flowers. Male flowers are slightly showier. Female flowers (if fertilized) give way to clusters of olive-like fruits (each to 1/2”long) which ripen to a dark bluish black in late summer/fall and are a good food source for birds and wildlife. Lustrous, leathery leaves are ovate to elliptic and 4” long. Leaves on young plants have serrate margins. Leaves are bright green above and whitish-green plus downy beneath. Leaves turn yellow in fall (reportedly more attractive in northern areas). Exfoliating gray-brown bark is attractive in winter.

Distribution: Native to China, Korea and Japan.

Information sources: MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN