Chionanthus retusus (Chinese fringe tree)

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Chionanthus retusus Lindl. & Paxton

Chinese fringe tree

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Oleaceae	Temperate climate shrubs, trees and a few vines, include forsythia, ash, jasmine, privet, olive, lilac, and many others
Genus	Chionanthus	From Greek χιών (chion), “snow,” and ἄνθος (anthus), “flower”
Species	retusus	Rounded with a shallow notch at the apex, in reference to leaf shape

About plant names...

Chinese fringe tree is native to China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, with a penchant for moist, fertile, acid soils. They do not tolerate prolonged dry weather well.

Plants: Shrubs or trees are up to 66' (20 m) high. Bark is thick and heavily fissured.

Leaves: Opposite, 1-4½" (3-12 cm) × ¾-2½" (2-6.5 cm), ovate to oblong-elliptic. They are shiny dark green on top, and paler below, with stems (petioles) ⅜-¾" (1-2 cm) long.

Flowers: In full bloom, these flowers turn the entire tree into a beautiful snow-white mist of fragrant, tassel-like blooms. Each flower has four straplike petals, arranged roughly in a cone.

Fruits: Fruits look a little like small olives, about ½" (1.3 cm) in diameter, ripening to a deep blue-purple color.

Online References:

Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum

The Missouri Botanical Garden

Www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Wikipedia

6/17/2012 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine
≈ 9 × 14" (23 × 35 cm)

6/17/2012 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine
≈ 8 × 12" (20 × 31 cm)

6/12/2023 · Highland Green, Topsham, Maine

8/31/2013 · Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 16 cm)

8/31/2013 · Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia
≈ 8 × 6" (19 × 16 cm)

Chionanthus chinensis Maxim.

Chionanthus coreanus H.Lév.

Chionanthus duclouxii Hickel

Chionanthus retusus var. coreanus (H.Lév.) Nakai

Chionanthus retusus var. fauriei H.Lév.

Chionanthus retusus var. mairei H.Lév.

Chionanthus retusus var. serrulatus (Hayata) Koidz.

Chionanthus serrulatus Hayata

Chionanthus retusus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Jul 2023.

6/17/2012 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 12 cm)

6/4/2021 · Emelie Tolley’s, Highland Green, Topsham, Maine
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 10 cm)

6/9/2017 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 10 × 14" (26 × 36 cm)

6/9/2017 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 9 × 8" (23 × 19 cm)

6/17/2012 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm)

6/9/2017 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 20 cm)

6/9/2017 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

Range: Zones 5-9:

About this map...