Japanese Tree Lilac vs White Fringe Tree - TreeTime.ca

Japanese Tree Lilac vs White Fringe Tree

Chionanthus virginicus

Syringa reticulata

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

White Fringe Tree
Japanese Tree Lilac

White Fringe Tree is known for its fringe-like white flowers. It can either grow as a small tree or a large multistemmed shrub. The White Fringe Tree has separate male and female plants. Both male and female flowers have white fringe-like petals, but the male flowers are longer and showier. The female flowers give way to clusters of dark blue to black berries. These berries are not edible for humans but attract birds and other wildlife.

The White Fringe Tree is tolerant of clay soils, saline soils, and air pollution but does not do well in prolonged dry conditions.

Japanese Tree Lilac is an attractive, heavy-flowering lilac with fragrant white blossoms. It can be pruned to a single stem or grown as a multi-stemmed shrub.

Japanese Tree Lilac's dark reddish-brown bark peels as the tree ages, creating visual appeal for any yard, especially in the winter.

This tree is often planted along boulevards and its attractive white flowers signal spring to all who drive by.

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Japanese Tree Lilac Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: blue to black
Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Flowers: white with yellow anthers
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: low


In row spacing: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)


Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree