Curious ?
Chionanthus virginicus flowers could well pass for something found on another planet by a Star Trek away team . The common name Fringe Tree just does n’t do it justice . The flowers are white and thread - like and do n’t resemble any other flower I ’ve ever seen except possibly for some orchids . But Fringe Tree is no obscure alien , it is aboriginal to our region and very well-off to develop . These shrubs are dioecian so you will need a male and a female if you want the attractive patrician yield in the fall . Wild turkeys and other dame will give thanks you for offer this much needed crepuscule food for thought source . Unfortunately , I ’ve never ensure C. virginicus labelled with their gender so implant a group of them is your safe bet for dumbfound one of each ; a serious drawback since these plants take up a lot of space . They tardily grow to about 10′ foot . tall and almost as wide . They still are still worth planting even if you’re able to only have one .
implant your C. virginicus in sun or light spook . Sandy , free soil is best but this tough shrub will also grow in clayey grease . influence compost or shredded leaves into the soil every year will do much to meliorate its social structure . Keep soil moist during the first year or two . After that lachrymation during dry spells is all that is needed .
In a formal garden mark C. virginicus makes a tremendous anchor at the end of a repeated edge . Out of bloom its dark foliation is a perfect backcloth for a wide-eyed range of hayfield works such as Lobelia cardinalis ( Cardinal Flower ) or Asclepias tuberosa ( Butterfly Weed ) .
In a more informal edge - of - the - woods setting the same principle apply but lighter colors will show the estimable . Actaea racemosa , once upon a clock time called Cimicifuga racemosa , coarse name Black Cohosh ( although I prefer the name I first heard , Fairy Candles ) mail wand up to 1 - 2′ magniloquent with 6 - 8″ long panicle of midget white flowers in former summertime . The burden is magical in the twilight . Keep Actaea moist for good bloom . Chelone glabra is another good choice . It will grow in sun to part Lord’s Day slowly spreading to form clump 2 - 4′ marvelous . The strange ( space alien ? ) bloodless flowers flower in late summertime .
In the downfall the leaves turn a beautiful shade of lily-livered ; a good background for Blue Wood Aster , Aster cordifolius . The Gentians are another possibility that will complement the weird plant theme better than aster . The ones that I know of : Gentiana autumnalis , G. clausa , and G. saponaria , all have blue prime that bloom , sort of , in the twilight . Gentian flowers do n’t really open . Pollinators have to fight their means in to get at the nectar . In the operation they are cross in pollen which they take to the next flower . Gentians are not pronto available at nurseries and some of them are said to be strong to produce so test your soil and Google the cultural requirements before constitute . I ’ve never grown them in my garden but was lucky enough to have a wild universe , believably G. clausa , growing in the ditch across from my house when I lived in northeast PA .
When planting perennial in front of Fringe Tree leave some space for the bush to grow but since it ’s a slow grower your perennials do n’t have to go out much further than 3′ from the shrub ’s current size . By the fourth dimension it grow over them it will be time to divide anyway .
Now , along with colour , height , textural , and ethnic requirements to regard tot up the “ space exotic ” element to your garden invention . total a few weird flower adds another degree of interest group to your garden .
Native Trees for North American Landscapes(Sternburg 2004 )
Native Plants of the Southeast(Mellichap , 2014 )
