Chinese fringe tree Chionanthus retusus

With a name that translates literally as 'snow flowers' it is not difficult to imagine how the Chinese fringe tree looks in full bloom. Native to eastern Asia it is rarely found outside its natural habitat and only in collections in Britain, where it was introduced in 1845.

The genus Chionanthus is distributed mainly across the tropics and subtropics, but two species can be found further north. One is the Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus) native to China, Korea and Japan and the other is the white fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) from eastern North America. While most of the tropical species are evergreen, the two from colder climates are deciduous.

The word Chionanthus comes from the Greek where 'chion' means snow and 'anthos' means flowers. In the case of the Chinese fringe tree this is particularly apt as, given access to full sun, it will flower prodigiously in June and July giving the tree the appearance of being covered in a thick layer of snow.

The flowers themselves each have four white, feathery, strap-shaped petals and it is considered an attractive ornamental tree. A slow-growing tree, it has a rounded, spreading form, and while it can grow to a height of 30ft in the wild, it is more usually found as a large shrub in gardens. However, it is not very well-known outside of its natural habitat and is generally only found in collections.

Despite its pretty, almost delicate appearance, the Chinese fringe tree is quite adaptable and is tolerant to air pollution which makes it ideal for planting in urban environments. As a young tree, its bark peels off regularly and this self-exfoliation probably helps to keep the tree rejuvenated, particularly where pollutants are present. More mature trees have pale brown bark, distinctive for its deep cracks.