Chinese Fringe Tree Tree Seeds | (Chionanthus retusus)

White cloud in late spring. The fringe tree that outdoes the native species.

Chionanthus retusus, the Chinese Fringe Tree, produces one of the most spectacular flowering displays of any small ornamental tree available in temperate horticulture, smothering itself in masses of fragrant, feathery white flowers in late May and early June in a display so complete that the foliage becomes invisible beneath the bloom. It is more floriferous than its American cousin Chionanthus virginicus, producing denser, more consistent flower coverage across the entire canopy and blooming slightly later, extending the fringe tree season into early summer. It also develops a more consistently tree-like form, with a single or multi-stemmed trunk and a rounder crown that fits small garden spaces beautifully. If you are looking to buy Chinese Fringe Tree seeds or grow this spectacular flowering tree from seed, this is the fringe tree that stops people at the end of May when most other spring flowering trees have already finished.

• More floriferous than the native White Fringe Tree, producing denser white flower coverage across the entire canopy
• Blooms in late May and early June, extending the fringe tree season when most spring flowers have finished
• Fragrant white flowers with strap-like petals creating the characteristic fringe-like appearance
• More consistently tree-like form than the American species, fitting smaller garden spaces naturally
• Blue-black olive-like fruit in fall eaten by birds and ornamentally attractive on female trees

Things you probably did not know about the Chinese Fringe Tree

It is dioecious but male trees are typically more floriferous than female trees. Chinese Fringe Tree produces male and female flowers on separate trees, with male trees generally producing more abundant and showier flower displays because they direct all their energy into flower production rather than fruit set. Female trees produce attractive blue-black fruits in fall that are valuable for birds and ornamentally interesting, but the overall flower display is often slightly less dense than on male trees. Seed-grown trees cannot be sexed until they first flower.

The flowers appear after the leaves, unlike the American species which blooms before or with the leaves. Chinese Fringe Tree reliably produces its flowers after the leaves have emerged, creating a combination of white flower and green leaf simultaneously rather than the bare-branch flower display of the native American species in its best years. The effect is different but equally beautiful, with the white fringe visible through and above the fresh green foliage of early summer.

It is widely planted as a street tree in Japan and Korea. Chinese Fringe Tree has been cultivated in East Asian gardens for centuries and is a common street and park tree in urban Korea and Japan, where its combination of disease resistance, adaptability to urban conditions, and spectacular late-spring flowering makes it one of the most practical ornamental trees for difficult urban environments. Its performance in these settings demonstrates a tolerance for urban stress that many other ornamental trees lack.

The bark develops attractive orange-brown furrowing on mature specimens. Young Chinese Fringe Tree stems have smooth, gray bark that develops into attractively furrowed, slightly orange-brown textured bark on mature trunks. The bark character of older specimens adds winter interest comparable to the flowering display in a different season, making the Chinese Fringe Tree a genuinely four-season ornamental tree rather than a one-season show.

Growing Details

• Botanical Name: Chionanthus retusus
• Stratification: Required, warm stratification of 60 to 90 days followed by 90 to 120 days cold stratification
• USDA Zones: 5 to 9
• Soil: Well-drained, moist, slightly acidic to neutral
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Height: 15 to 25 feet
• Spread: 15 to 25 feet
• Growth Rate: Slow to moderate, 1 to 1.5 feet per year

Plant it where the late May flower display will be visible from a path or seating area. When it covers itself in white fringe in the last week of May you will be glad you gave it the prominent spot it deserves.