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Waiting for Grancy Graybeard
Mississippi Gardens Newspaper and Web Column - April 12, 2004

Everything we grow in the garden seems to be appreciated more if it flowers, fruits and/or grows quickly, right? Although there are many trees and shrubs that grow rapidly there is usually a price to pay for the rapid rate of growth in the form of weak wood and relatively short life span. However, some of our best trees for the landscape are those that take a little time to develop. Remember that patience is a virtue and in the case of the White Fringe Tree, a.k.a. Grancy Graybeard, indeed good things do come to those who wait.

Waiting for Grancy Graybeard (Chionanthus virginicus) to grow up may be like watching the tortoise race the hare in the famous nursery rhyme. Therefore, one must be patient since the Graybeard's rate of growth in the landscape is slow at perhaps less than one foot per year. A 10 to 15 foot tall mature tree can be expected in as many years even though it's not uncommon to find larger trees in the wild at 20 to 25 feet tall. Nevertheless, Grancy Graybeard is a favorite Southern native tree that typically begins to display its unique white-fringed flowers as early as three to five years of age.

The Graybeard tree is dioecious, meaning that there are male and female trees. The males are typically more attractive in bloom due to their longer petals. However, female plants will be the ones with dark blue fruit in late summer. Birds relish the fleshy blue fruit and will find it easily, even though the foliage tends to hide it from us. Probably the best way to buy male and female Graybeard trees is to purchase them in late summer and early fall when fruit will be present on the female plants. In addition to beautiful flowers and attractive fruit, the Graybeard displays yellow fall color.

Grancy graybeard is an excellent non-evergreen specimen tree for both residential and commercial landscapes. It can also be used in groups of three or more if adequate space is available, or in combination with evergreen shrubs, especially spring flowering azaleas. It will be right at home in naturalistic settings. Better flowering occurs where the Graybeard can get a lot of sun, but it will tolerate some shade. It also prefers well-drained, sandy loam soil of medium fertility.

Unfortunately, the Grancy Graybeard is not a tree that is often seen in the marketplace. That's too bad because it is an excellent landscape plant. Ask for Grancy Graybeard by name at your local garden center and see if they can get this outstanding tree for you. Happy gardening!

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These archived columns were written by Kerry Johnson, a hobby gardener, former weekly newspaper columnist and an Area Extension Horticulture Agent for 11 coastal counties in Mississippi.