Sandwich is a fall destination in Mass.
Cozied alongside the Cape Cod Canal, and just east of the Sagamore Bridge, Sandwich, Massachusetts, is the Cape’s oldest town.
When I stopped by a friend’s house last Sunday, I couldn’t help but notice the dusky-blue, olivelike fruits hanging from a shrub at the end of her driveway. Just beautiful — like little ornaments. And
I was surprised, because
I’m familiar with a lot of plants, but didn’t recognize this one. I snapped a quick photo with my cell phone. Once inside, and greetings completed, I held up the photo on my phone and got right to the question: “This shrub at the end of your driveway. What is it?”
“Oh, that? That’s fringetree.” Seriously? Fringetree, a.k.a. Old Man’s Beard, is Chionanthus virginicus, a shrub I do know. I’ve seen plenty of them in people’s yards, as I’ve walked or driven by, although never close-up. And I realized that I’d only ever seen the plants in the spring, when it’s impossible not to notice the profusion of flowers, even at a distance.
The clusters of flowers are strikingly beautiful. As Lynn M. Steiner describes in her book, “Grow Native,” “Very showy, pure white, sweetly fragrant blooms appear with the foliage in late spring for about two weeks, cascading downward like the white beard of a wise old man.” Even from afar, the display is eye-catching.
The blue-black fruits of this native may not grab attention from far away, but they are striking nonetheless, and a welcome sight especially at this time of year, when trees are well past flowering and bright, fall foliage is still a month or so away. A second question popped out: “Do the birds eat the fruit?” The answer was yes. I looked for more information when I got home. From Steiner I learned that the fruits “are highly desired by cardinals, bluebirds, brown thrashers, mockingbirds, blue jays, woodpeckers, and turkeys.” I also noted that bees are the main pollinators, and that the larvae of certain moths feed on the leaves.
There are many other reasons to love this tree. As Steiner notes, fringetree is “an excellent choice anywhere a small tree is needed.” This could be as a specimen at the back of a shrub border, near a patio, or in an entryway garden. They also make a nice contrast against the dark backdrop of an evergreen hedge.
This member of the olive family (Oleaceae) is native to the Eastern United States and is well-suited to our growing zone. It does well in full sun to part shade, has modest water needs, and blooms May to June. It tolerates clay soil and air pollution, and will grow near black walnut trees. Maintenance is low. And in addition to the showy, fragrant flowers and the pretty, wildlife-supporting fruits, there’s one more excellent feature: The leaves turn a lovely yellow in the fall.
With all of these pluses, there are several things to take into consideration. Fringetrees can grow from 12-20 feet both tall and wide, so they’ll need occasional pruning if you want to control the spread. Deer may browse the leaves and twigs. Also, fringetrees are dioecious, with separate male and female plants, and this is probably why I never noticed the fruits before: they weren’t there! Both the male and female trees flower, but you’ll need both if you want to enjoy fruits, since only the female plants will bear them. The flowers of the males are more showy, so it’s most likely that I’d
only seen male fringetrees up until now.
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by September 27.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s book for children and families, Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets, is available on Amazon, along with her companion field journal, Explore Outdoors, at Amazon.com/ author/pamelabaxter.