My Deer Garden

Is White Fringe Tree deer resistant?

Chionanthus virginicus

Fleecy white fringe tree flowers
Photo by Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Occasionally damaged

Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.

Rating source: Rutgers NJAES E271

Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 3–9LightPart shade
Mature height144–360 in
BloomSpring
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range23 US states

About White Fringe Tree

Fleecy white flowers with a light scent in late spring, on a native small tree that leafs out very late, which alarms people into thinking it has died. Male plants have showier flowers, females carry blue fruit. Emerald ash borer has begun attacking it. It is an ash relative.

Soil and care

Soil pH
5.5 to 6.5
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
94 to 142 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Similar to White Fringe Tree

Other trees with the same deer rating.

Protecting White Fringe Tree

Whether this survives comes down to local pressure, so it is worth knowing the options before it gets browsed rather than after.

Where White Fringe Tree grows

Hardy across every state on zone range alone, and native to 23 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
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Every list White Fringe Tree belongs to.

Hardy in these zones

Common questions about White Fringe Tree

Is White Fringe Tree deer resistant?
White Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) is rated Occasionally Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Browsed where deer pressure is high. Protect it.
What hardiness zones does White Fringe Tree grow in?
White Fringe Tree is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does White Fringe Tree grow in shade?
Yes. White Fringe Tree tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does White Fringe Tree get?
Mature height is roughly 144–360 in. Growth rate is slow.