Fringe trees are one of the best choices of trees that you can grow in your background to make it more of an attractive space.If planted in front of a dark background, then they look even more pretty because it adds contrast to their snowy white-colored, longer petals. Since it is a shrub, it does not even require a large planting area as compared to bigger trees.The root bark of this tree has many medical properties and is effective in the treatment of stomach and liver disorders. If you are facing poor digestion, such as constipation, then the bark could be of great benefit to you. Native Americans used dried roots and barks to treat skin inflammation. They also used a tincture made from the bark mixed with grain alcohol to treat jaundice. This type of tree is really helpful if you want your backyard to look more beautiful but you do not have too much time to focus on gardening and maintenance of your plants. Fringe trees do not require much care and bloom easily, once planted in full sun as well as in partial shade too. In this article, we will be discussing 28 facts about a fringe tree that we bet you didn’t know.Facts About Fringe TreesThe fringe tree is one of the least known ornamental trees but nowadays it is gaining popularity. In this section, we will be talking about the reasons why fringe trees are so unique.The scientific name of the fringe tree is Chionanthus virginicus, derived from Greek words ‘chion’ meaning snow and ‘anthos’ meaning flowers. This is because when it is loaded with white flowers, it looks like snow on a tree.Some of the other commonly used names for fringe trees are grancy graybeard, white fingetree, or simple fingetree.The fringe tree is a native tree to the United States, originating in Missouri and then spreading throughout the eastern part of the US, all the way up to New Jersey, Florida, and Oklahoma.The fringe tree is dioecious in nature, which basically means that both male and female flowers grow on separate plants, and in comparison, male flowers are more beautiful as they have longer but narrow petals. On the other hand, the female plant’s branches bear blue fruit which makes it unique too.Its leaves are usually 3-8 in (7.62 -20.32 cm) long and have a dark green texture to them.Fringe trees adapt to a wide range of soils and grow well if given filtered shade from the sun in summers, although they bloom under the full sun too.The fringe tree grows slowly into a small or large shrub, depending on other factors such as soil type, which variety is being used, and others.It is an ornamental tree with the average height of a matured tree being somewhere between 12-20 ft (3.7-6.1 m).Fringe Tree’s HabitatBefore planting a tree it is a must to know if the light and soil conditions will be suitable. We will be talking about the ideal habitat of the fringe tree plant below:Fringe trees usually don’t react well to transplanting, hence, you should plant them in a fixed spot and try not to change their position in soil too often.Once their roots adapt to the soil, fringe trees don’t require any special maintenance. Soil types will make a difference to the growth, however, and dry soil may get affected by mites or borers.fringe trees adapt to most light conditions and soil conditions, like either clay or sand, but you will get better results in fertile, well-drained soil.Fringe trees don’t require regular pruning as their natural structure is pretty pleasing, however, in the case of a Chinese fringe tree’s bark, it can be pruned more into a tree-like structure.As fringe trees grow in shade, they come in handy in woodland gardens.The flowers on these trees are pretty delicate therefore it is advised to plant them away from wind paths or their flowers may start to fall off the branches.Fringe trees are found from eastern Texas and southern Missouri, all the way up to Ohio and Pennsylvania in the north.The fringe tree naturally grows in swamp borders, rocky bluffs, and wooden areas.Previously, Native Americans used the barks and roots of the white fringe in order to cure diseases such as ulcers. Its tea was also used as a herbal wash that helped in curing bed sores and inflammation.Although bark and root from the fringe tree can be used as a medicinal drug, too much use might cause problems like headaches, vomiting, and slowed pulse rate. The side effects differ from person to person.For fringe trees, diseases or pests are a rarely occurring issue although they are not completely immune to them. The borer is the most serious pest insect for a fringe tree and is more likely to attack a tree that already has wounds or is malnourished.Fringe Tree’s VarietiesSome people get confused between the Chinese fringe tree and the American fringe tree. This section is going to clear the doubts that people have about both varieties.The fringe tree is a spring-blooming, small tree and basically has two popular varieties; the American fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) and the Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus).The American tree grows to about 20 ft (6.09 m) wide and tall and is found in Canada all the way up to the Gulf Coast. In contrast, the Chinese tree grows around 15-25 ft (4.57- 6.09 m) tall and broad and is the native tree found in China, Japan, and Korea.The American fringe plant has leaves that start to bloom comparatively late in the spring and the oval leaves turn clear yellow in the autumn. The Chinese fringe, however, starts to bear its white flowers by the end of the spring season.They are, however, the same type of trees and have the same characteristics like rarely getting any diseases or pestsFringe trees are grown from seed and the seed needs to be taken through several treatments before it actually germinates. Also, both varieties have different male and female flowers and are not salt-tolerant in soil.Both varieties of these small trees are good ornamental plants in the back garden and both have yellow as their fall color.The clusters of white flowers make them stand out from other plants or trees in their surrounding.Fringe Tree’s FruitsThe fringe tree also has a fruit and its properties are mentioned below:A fringe tree’s fruit is dark blue in color and ripens in the months of August and September. The dark blue fruit on snow-white leaves looks really pleasant.Its leaves look like white flowers from a distance.Although the fruits are not fit for humans in raw form and also don’t have any medicinal properties, they still help in bringing birds to the garden, which perch on the tree’s branches.The fruit has a thin pulp and has around one to three seeds in it.It can not directly be eaten but as fringe trees are from the family of olives trees, their fruits can be used as a pickle and eaten without any fear.
Fringe trees are one of the best choices of trees that you can grow in your background to make it more of an attractive space.
