Pygmy Fringe Tree (Chionanthus pygmaeus) - A dwarfed (maximum height 10') relative of the American fringe tree, pygmy fringe tree is one of the most beautiful of the Florida scrub plants. It occurs in scrub and turkey oak sandhills on the Lake Wales Ridge and has been reported from Citrus and Hillsborough Counties as well. Like the other scrub shrubs, pygmy fringe tree sprouts back quickly after fire. Pygmy fringe tree blooms in April and May, and the sweet fragrance from its delicate white blossoms is a favorite scrub memory. Much of this species' habitat has been lost due to land clearing for residential development and citrus production. As a result, Chionanthus pygmaeus, as well as a number of other plant species in the same habitat, was listed as federally endangered on January 21, 1987.