Trees of Alabama and the Southeast Home Page

Leaves are simple, opposite, deciduous, elliptical, about 6 inches long and with smooth margins and prominent veins.   Twigs are gray with lenticels, somewhat hairy, and with brown pointed terminal buds and raised sometimes sub-opposite semicircular leaf scars.  Bark is gray to brown, grooved and scaly.   Flowers are white in fringe-like, drooping clusters.  Fruit is a blue-black drupe.  Fringe-tree is usually a shrub or small tree found on a moist soils in the eastern and southern U.S.  A popular ornamental because of the flowers which bloom even on seedlings. 

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All text and photographs are intended for educational purposes only and are not for commercial use in any form.  All photographs are copyrighted by the named photographer(s), text copyright by Lisa Samuelson. © 2005, all rights reserved. Photographs by Mike Hogan.