Grancy Greybeard Tree

The Grancy Greybeard, as it is commonly known in the south, is also called the Fringe tree. This white, feathery flower completely covers bare, gray branches, in late spring, after most other flowering trees have finished there carnival of flowering. During the two week blooming period, the Grancy Greybeard flowers emit a sweet lilac scent, especially in the evening. The small Flowering Grancy Greybeard tree sheds its 6-8 inch-long leaves in the fall after turning a bright yellow color. This plant can occur as a male or female sexed tree, or both sexes may occur on the same tree. At maturity the plant will grow slowly to 30 foot heights.

The flowers of the Flowering Grancy Greybeard tree are lacy or fringe-like blooming in mid April in South Georgia are being covered with rounded clusters of creamy-white fragrant flowers. Grancy Greybeard flowering trees will thrive in extremely wet river bottoms or in upland areas that are favorable to longleaf pine trees growth, such as this white fragrant flower display growing during April at Fullwood Park at Tifton, Georgia. One of the most popular flowering trees in the South is the Grancy Greybeard, and many of these trees were planted in the recreational areas of Tift Park (Fullwood) in Tifton, Georgia. The Grancy Greybeard (Chionanthus virginicus) is usually planted as an ornamental plant and grown low to the ground, similar to many tall shrubs. In Georgia the Grancy Greybeard tree begins its climax flowering period just after the last cultivars of the Formosa azaleas end their flowering. The tiny white filaments of the Grancy Greybeard tree are frilly and lacy and flower freely for about two weeks with a delicate fragrance. Grancy Greybeard flowers after azaleas begin to fade. The spectacular blooming of the Flowering Fringe tree occurs during a decline in the azalea flower period. This white, feathery flower of the Grancy Greybeard tree completely covers bare, gray branches, in late spring, after most other flowering trees have finished there carnival of flowering.