ENTS-

Today I measured an exceptionally large and beautiful American
fringe-tree(*Chionanthus
virginicus*) located near my home in Bay Village, Ohio. Ht. 18.7', average
spread 30.5', circumference at multi-stemmed base 7'4''. It appears to be a
male tree, so no fruit expected.

Steve

Amazing. Fringe Trees apparently grow wild here in South Jersey, but they are supposed to be extremely rare. I believe I'm not supposed to reveal the exact location of very rare plants. But I do have a Fringe Tree on this property.
 
The tree went through a tough time, back around 20 years ago. My grandfather was still alive back then. There was a short row of trees and shrubs that had apparently been pushed to the edge of the woods with a bulldozer after the old house house that was here burned down and was removed. In this short row of trees and shrubs there were some forsythias and this one small tree that I assumed was a sweet bay magnolia (which it wasn't). Anyway, one day my grandfather felt ambitious. He had seen this row of shrubs and trees (which were tiny at the time). He thought it was all weeds and junk, and decided to take a lawn mower to it. I stopped him, but it was too late. The tree that I thought was sweet bay magnolia got mowed down. It re-grew in multiple stems, but originally had only one. A few years ago I found it blooming for the first time. So I showed photos of the flowers to a friend and she identified it as Fringe Tree, at which time she told me it was
 very rare in New Jersey. So I was very happy to have one in the yard (and I was happy that it re-grew after being mowed down!).
Attached is a photo of the flowers from a couple years ago.