Chionanthus virginicus

Chionanthus virginicus, flourishing

Chionanthus virginicus, also called snowflakes shrub Virginian, Virginian snow tree or poison ash, is a deciduous tree of the genus snow trees ( Chionanthus ) in the family Oleaceae ( Oleaceae ). The species is native to eastern North America. The first description of Carl Linnaeus was published in " Species Plantarum " in 1753, then still with the epithet virginica.

Description

Chionanthus virginicus growing as usually multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that forms a relatively slender, rounded crown and reaches stature heights up to 10 meters and trunk diameter of up to about 30 cm. The bark is brown and scaly.

In contrast to the vast majority of members of the genus Chionanthus virginicus is not always green. The constant against foliage leaves are oblong - ovate, 10-20 cm long and 1.2 to 10 cm wide. The leaf margin is smooth to wavy; the leaf veins on the bottom are hairy. The autumn color is yellow in northern latitudes, inconspicuous brown in more southern areas.

The fragrant hermaphrodite flowers have four to six white, 2-3 cm long petals. The egg-shaped stone fruits are dark purple and are sometimes covered by a layer of wax weißpuderigen. They are about 2.5 cm long; of thin, dry fruit pulp is a single seed, rarely two or three, enclosed.

Dissemination

Chionanthus virginicus is native to the southeastern to eastern North America. The distribution area extends across the U.S. states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Use

Because of the striking white flowers Chionanthus virginicus is primarily in North America very popular ornamental tree.