Here’s the latest “Walking the Land” from Becky Dill, amateur naturalist, photographer and Paw barista:
The best native tree that nobody grows has three names that people cannot agree on. Do you call it Fringe Tree or Grancy Greybeard or Old Man’s Beard? This beautiful small tree grows naturally from New Jersey to Florida, blooms with thousands of dangling white petals that flutter in the breeze, but is rarely planted intentionally in people’s yards. Dogwoods, saucer magnolias, bradford pear and flowering cherries are more likely to be found in garden centers, so, of course they grace more front yards than Grancy Greybeard does.
Fringe Tree is interesting in that it has separate male and female trees. Both produce beautiful white flowers, but only the female tree bears the blue berries that are eaten by birds in late summer. This tree is actually in the olive family and the berries resemble small olives. For the best flower and fruit production, plant Grancy Greybeard in full sun. Mature trees are small, likely to be 15 to 20 feet tall and about 10 feet wide, so they are easy to fit in any landscape.
Old Man’s Beard is blooming now in Anson County. Walk in Uptown Wadesboro and you will find it by the entrance to First United Methodist Church on West Morgan Street. Walk on the nature trail at Wadesboro’s Little Park, and you will find it blooming there, too.
I would love to share a reliable source where you can buy Fringe Tree, but I only occasionally see it for sale. Online searches are a possibility, as are any nearby native plant sales. If you come across these trees for sale, consider planting one or two for their natural beauty. You will be glad you did … because then you can pick just one name and stick with it!