Not sure how successful you'd be, the source I have says zone 5 and possibly the warmer parts of zone 4. Plus, at least according to the link below, it's fairly slow growing, meaning that if it does suffer severe winter damage, it may take forever to come back.

Still, might be worth a try if you can obtain seeds fairly cheap.

I am trying northern catalpa speciosa, apparently there are a few of them growing here. They are quick growing, but do suffer a fair amount of damage in zone 3.

Here is a link that might be useful: U of Conn plant database: white fringetree

Glen, thanks for the link. Confirms what I thought about the tree - will probably be somewhat fragile in this zone. However, I think I will go ahead and consider it my 'experiment' for this year. Unfortunately, though, there aren't any seeds involved; I will be tracking down (probably ordering) a container plant! Ah well...it's all in the name of gardening!

It should be an interesting experiment and it may work for you. In my limited experiments with out-of-zone plants, I find that a zone 5 plant may not automatically die just because itÂs planted in a zone 3. Yes, thereÂs always the chance it might, but it might survive but grow slower. Or, it might suffer a bit of winter dieback. Or, it could suffer severe winter dieback to the snow line, which might make it more of a shrub than tree. It really depends on the type of tree, the spot in the yard, snowcover, etc. I think in general slow growing out of zone trees are better than fast growing ones, since they don't put out too much new growth and the wood has the proper time to ripen and mature for winter.

For the first few winters you might consider winter protection of some sort. Easy to do if the tree is small. I protect some plants by mounding snow around the base of them and then covering with a cardboard box. Over winter the box gets buried in a snowdrift anyways. Or, additionally, you might first mulch peat moss or leaves around the base of the tree, before it snows, to help insulate the root zone. ThatÂs what I do with my ginkgo tree. The tree then gets surrounded with a wood frame and wrapped. That tree survives but suffers too much winter damage if I donÂt do this, though there is a theory that they get hardier with age (especially once the root system is established) so I will eventually stop doing this.

I have two fringetrees, Chionanthus virginicus, growing in my garden here in Minneapolis, which is on the northern edge of zone 4a.

When shopping, be sure that you find a plant that has been grown by a nursery in the North. I purchased a fringetree from a local nursery and it died back every year so I removed it. I purchased another one, grown by Bailey Nurseries, here in Minnesota, and this one has done just fine. I also purchased one at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum sale last year and that has done just fine, too.

If you are looking for a plant that has a "tree" form, I would suggest that you choose another plant because the fringetree is really more of a shrub when grown in the more northern zones.
Good luck,
Mike

Looks like the fringetree is not going to be the easiest thing I've ever planted...lol! And me being a relative newbie at all this - what was I thinking!
However, I still plan to give this a try.

Glen, I think the idea of winter protection should be relatively easy, particularly if it is typically more of a shrub in this zone. Actually have an area that is full sun and protected quite nicely from prevailing winds, etc. The fringetree can keep the two holly plants company there.

Mike, I'm not having much luck with a local supplier. Not something that the local nurseries carry, so have to start looking a little further afield - perhaps in Manitoba. And the hunt continues!!

When I think about the time and effort I'm expending on finding one tree, makes me understand that I am truly 'hooked'! LOL

Margaret