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Chinese Fringe Tree

Multiple or single trunk deciduous tree with a round canopy. Ridged and furrowed bark in maturity provides winter interest. Origin - China, Korea, Japan.

Scientific Name:

Chionanthus retusus

Mature Height:

15' - 25'

Mature Spread:

15' - 25'

Leaves:

2 - 4" long, usually oval, dark green lustrous leaves

Flowers:

Fragrant white flowers with fringe-like petals hang in 4" long clusters at the ends of branches - appear in late April.

Fruit:

Male and female plants separate. If both present, females produce many small (1/2" - 1") ovoid fleshy blue to purple fruit that attracts birds. Difficult to propagate from seed.

Root System:

No surface roots.

Growth Rate:

Slow, 4 - 12" depending on care.

Cultural Notes:

Regular water. Blooms best in full sun in moist alkaline-acidic soil. Looks best if sheltered from wind. Adaptable to many soil textures.

Sacramento Specimen:

Arboretum Terrace Garden, next to Borders in Davis.

314 James Drive, Roseville (4 years old)

Along Putah Creek southeast of Mrak Hall.

Minimum Planting Distances

• from SMUD pad mounted equipment (such as a transformer mounted on a concrete pad): 8 feet
• from a building foundation: 6 feet
• from walks and driveways: 5 feet
• from an air conditioner: 3 feet
• from a fence: 3 feet
• from a utility offset (such as an underground line, pipe or cable): 3 feet
• from a utility overhead (such as an overhead power line): 0 feet
• from a swimming pool: 6 feet
• from a septic system: 15 feet
• between trees*: 12 feet

* To calculate the planting distance between different size trees, add the distances between each species in the column and divide answer in half. Example: the distance between a Red Maple (large tree) and Amur Maple (small tree) is calculated: 25 feet + 15 feet = 40 feet ÷ 2 = 20 feet. The distance between these two different size trees should be 20 feet.