The Chinese fringetree provides year round interest in the garden. In mid-May the most noticeable feature are the fragrant white flowers (upper left), attractive to bees, birds, and butterflies. The cool fall turns the dark green leaves yellow. As the tree matures its bark becomes deeply ridged-and-furrowed (upper right), providing an unusual highlight to a winter setting.

The Chinese fringetree is drought and heat tolerant so, they can be used in areas that provide little natural water. This deciduous, multi-trunked tree can reach up to 20 feet in cultivation and has been reported to reach 40 feet in the wild. Chionanthus retusus var. serrulatus is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9. You can view this Chinese fringetree in the National Herb Garden.