White Fringe Tree vs Canada Anemone - TreeTime.ca

White Fringe Tree vs Canada Anemone

Chionanthus virginicus

Anemonastrum canadense (Anemone canadensis)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

White Fringe Tree
Canada Anemone

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.

Canada Anemone is a native perennial wildflower known for its white, buttercup-like flowers. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its deep green foliage, characterized by deeply cut leaves with sharply toothed edges, adds texture and visual interest to the landscape even when the plant is not in bloom.

Canada Anemone grows naturally in moist meadows, forest edges, and riparian zones. Spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes, it forms large colonies that can help stabilize soil. It is well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects, including revegetating difficult, wet sites. Also suitable for rain gardens and pollinator gardens, but extra care and maintenance may be required to control its spread in smaller urban yards.

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Canada Anemone Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: rhizomes - high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: all plants parts toxic if ingested, can cause skin irritation
Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Flowers: white, cup-shaped
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Berries: blue to black
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree
Other Names: american meadow anemone, meadow anemone, roundleaf anemone, roundleaf thimbleweed