Chionanthus /ˌkaɪ.ɵˈnænθəs/, common name: fringetrees, is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae.The genus has a wide distribution primarily in the tropics and subtropics, but with three species extending north into temperate regions, one (C. retusus) in eastern Asia and two (C. virginicus and C. henryae) in eastern North America. Most of the tropical species are evergreen, while the three temperate species are deciduous.