Birch Leaf Spirea vs White Fringe Tree - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs White Fringe Tree

Spiraea betulifolia

Chionanthus virginicus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

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White Fringe Tree

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

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.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: blue to black
Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium




Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree