Scientific Name: Chionathus virginicus L.
Family: Oleaceae (Olive Tree)
Common name: Fringe-tree
Description: Fast-growing, short-lived shrub or small tree, occasionally reaching 30 feet tall; flowers April-May; mature July-September.
Range and Habitat: Common throughout South Carolina. Grows in a wide variety of habitats, including forests and swamps.
In Porcher’s time… Fringe-tree was used as a tonic to bring down fevers. It was also used as a poultice on wounds and ulcers.
See the historical entry on this plant as it appears in Resources of the Southern Fields and Forests