White Fringe Tree vs Yellow Hedysarum - TreeTime.ca

White Fringe Tree vs Yellow Hedysarum

Chionanthus virginicus

Hedysarum sulphurescens

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

White Fringe Tree
Yellow Hedysarum

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.

Yellow Hedysarum is a native perennial wildflower recognized for its clusters of pale yellow to creamy-white, pea-like blooms. Flowering from late spring into summer, it adds subtle colour to grasslands, roadsides, and open woods while attracting a variety of pollinators, especially bumblebees.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Hedysarum enriches soils and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. Its deep taproot and extensive root system make it drought-tolerant and effective at stabilizing soil. Grizzly bears are known to dig up and eat the nutritious taproot. Its resilience and ecological value make it well-suited for restoration, naturalization, pollinator gardens, and erosion control projects.

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Yellow Hedysarum Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2b
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: ascending to upright
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Flowers: creamy yellow, in dense spikes
Bloom time: late spring to summer
Berries: blue to black
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree
Other Names: sulphur hedysarum, sulphur sweet-vetch, yellow sweet-vetch