Northern Bayberry vs White Fringe Tree - TreeTime.ca

Northern Bayberry vs White Fringe Tree

Myrica pensylvanica

Chionanthus virginicus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Northern Bayberry
White Fringe Tree

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

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.

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no
Berries: blue-gray
Berries: blue to black
Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium



Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.

Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree