Plant Library
White Knight Fringetree Chionanthus virginicus 'White Knight' Height: 15 feet Spread: 10 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4a Other Names: Fringe Tree, Old Man's Beard, Grancy Graybeard Description: A strikingly beautiful shrub when in bloom, with cloud-like panicles of fine strap-like flowers in spring atop the green foliage; a dwarf male selection that produces no fruit; interesting bark for winter value; a wonderful landscape accent Ornamental Features White Knight Fringetree is clothed in stunning panicles of fragrant white strap-like flowers held atop the branches from mid to late spring. It has green deciduous foliage. The glossy oval leaves turn yellow in fall. The peeling gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape. Landscape Attributes White Knight Fringetree is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics. White Knight Fringetree is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing White Knight Fringetree will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more. This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.
