Chionanthus virginicus L.

White Fringetree; Old Man's Beard; Grancy Gray Beard

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Grancy Gray Beard is a native deciduous shrub or small tree in the Olive family (Oleaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Grancy Gray Beard occurs in open pine or hardwood forests, along forest edges, and around rock outcrops. It is a large shrub or small tree reaching heights of 12-20 feet. The bark is scaly with dark gray brown ridges and red furrows. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate to elliptic in outline, with entire margins. The leaves are thin, glabrous above and pubescent with short hairs below. Flowers are produced in drooping axillary panicles from the previous seasons growth. Grancy Gray Beard is dioecious, although some plants many also have perfect flowers. The flowers on male plants are showier than those on female plants. The flower has 4 sepals and 4 linear white petals. The flowers are fragrant. The fruit is a blue/black drupe. Grancy Gray Beard is a popular ornamental and is often available from nurseries. It prefers a well-draining soil in full to partial sun. Grancy Gray Beard seed require 2 years to germinate. Removing the hard endocarp surround the seed increases the rate and percentage of germination. The common name Grancy Gray Beard is thought to be a corruption of “Grandfather’s Gray Beard” or “Grand Sire’s Gray Beard”. --A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL) G5 (Global Rank)

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