Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf. –Albert Schweitzer

I’ve been looking forward to #ThursdayTreeLove all week. I’d intended to spend time in the company of trees this week, but between too hot and too busy, I had to forgo tree therapy. Thankfully, I have a healthy supply of photos for such times.

I “discovered” the tree in this post while walking around Bridge Street Town Centre, an outdoor mall [understatement] here in Huntsville, Alabama. While my son and his peers scurried about solving puzzle after puzzle in a carefully planned (for social distancing) outdoor scavenger hunt, I took advantage of the time to appreciate nature’s offerings. [Thanks, AJ’s mom!]

There were pretty blooms everywhere, but I found this tree captivating–its shape, the “fringes,” its dancing shadow.

I learned the name of this tree from JoAnna of Anything Is Possible. Also a tree lover who participates in #ThursdayTreeLove, she wrote about the tree a couple of months ago–about two weeks after I first encountered the tree.

The tree, Chionanthus virginicus, is known by many names:

Some people call it grancy graybeard. Others know it as grandfather graybeard, granddaddy’s beard, old-man’s beard, snow flower tree or flowering ash. Botanists, on the other hand, have named it fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus).  –Terry W. Johnson, “Out My Backdoor”

It’s a beautiful tree. I was surprised to learn it’s not all that uncommon in these parts. In fact, the “grumpy gardener” claims it’s the best native tree that nobody knows. Before I encountered the tree two months ago, I certainly didn’t know.

Have you seen this tree before?

I am joining Parul Thakur for #ThursdayTreeLove every second and fourth Thursday of the month. If you would like to play along, post a picture of a tree on your blog and link it back to her latest #treelove post.