I'm familar with chionanthus virginicus.

Yes...here is a note from one of Wisconsin's top growers.

Small tree or large shrub with fleecy white flowers. Has performed admirably in our heavy alkaline soil. Loose clusters of blue fruits in early fall are attractive to birds. Tolerates partial shade. Deer resistant. Male plants are fruitless.

Most sources will say not to exceed much beyond 7.5...but it grows fairly well here. I've seen very healthy 6' specimans at the nursery.

Alright, two more questions. Can it be grown from seed?? If so, I might want to trade you for some seeds this year. Also, what time of year does it bloom??

Late May is typical for us...no idea on the seeds.

Unless one is extraordinarily patient, growing trees and shrubs from seed is a long, drawn out process, especially if you are looking for a replacement to an existing tree that was destroyed or had to be removed. IOW, it will be a good number of years before a Chionanthus seedling achieves a reasonable, flowering size.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chionanthus seeding info

I agree with gardengal's advice against trying to grow them from seed.

Like native fringetree, Chinese fringetree should tolerate your higher pH soil and be hardy at your location. It's one of my favorite small trees. See link from the Morton Arboretum.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese fringetree

Hmmmm, it so happens I am trying to germinate Chionanthus virginicus seeds collected in early September from a Fringe tree in front of a local school. The front entrance is flanked by male and female specimens that look pretty old and perhaps past their prime, but the blooms and berries were still really nice. They are late to leaf out and bloom in June in our area.

Apparently the seeds require warm-cold-warm stratification cycle to germinate, which I am trying to do in 1 year. When (if) they germinate, they will no doubt take many years to bloom, but it's something to do out of curiosity. If I wanted instant gratification, though, I would just go to the nursery and buy a blooming specimen. :)

Parent tree -
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Props for people trying to grow trees from seed - absolutely planting for the next generation!

To the pH question, we had several on the UCD campus in CA, and they seemed fairly happy, but not as nice as the ones you see back east.

Dan