Fringe Tree

Our poor fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus). It must have been just the right size for the deer this year; they totally destroyed it. Or so I thought. I was just about ready to give up on it when I started to see new growth. This small shrub or tree has a great ability to recuperate after heavy deer browsing. This is not the first year this has happened but it will be the last. I plan to securely fence this tree this fall before the deer start rubbing on it and break off the branches.

A fringe tree can be a beautiful specimen tree for the home landscape. It produces abundant fragrant white flowers in the spring, it's berries are eaten by many birds, and the leaves turn yellow in the fall. However, locally it is hard to find even one for sale.