Syringa Reticulata - Japanese Lilac

Syringa reticulata (Japanese tree lilac; Chinese: æš´é©¬ä¸é¦™ bao ma ding xiang; Japanese: ãƒã‚·ãƒ‰ã‚¤, romanized:Â hashidoi) is a species of Lilac, native to eastern Asia: in northern Japan (mainly HokkaidÅ), northern China (Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan), Korea, and far southeastern Russia (Primorye).

Syringa reticulata is a deciduous small tree growing to a height of 39' (12 m), rarely to 49' (15 m), with a trunk up to 11.8" (30Â cm), rarely 15.7" (40Â cm) diameter; it is the largest species of lilac, and the only one that regularly makes a small tree rather than a shrub. The leaves are elliptic-acute, 1"-6"(2.5â€"15Â cm) long and 1/2"-4" (1â€"8Â cm) broad, with an entire margin, and a roughish texture with slightly impressed veins. The flowers are white or creamy-white, the corolla with a tubular base 0.16"-0.24"(4â€"6Â mm) long and a four-lobed apex 0.12"-0.24" (3â€"6Â mm) across, and a strong fragrance; they are produced in broad panicles 2"-11" (5â€"30Â cm) long and 1"-8" (3â€"20Â cm) broad in early summer. The fruit is a dry, smooth brown capsule (15â€"25Â mm long), splitting in two to release the two winged seeds.

There are three subspecies:

Syringa reticulata subsp. reticulata (syn. Syringa japonica (Maxim.), also syn. S. amurensis var japonica (Maxim.) Franch et Sav.- Ligustrina japonica (Maxim.) ) - Japan.
Syringa reticulata subsp. amurensis (Rupr.) P.S.Green & M.C.Chang (syn. S. reticulata var. mandschurica (Maxim.) H.Hara) - Northeastern China, Korea, southeastern Russia.
Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis (Rupr.) P.S.Green & M.C.Chang - North-central China. It has very distinct reddish-brown peeling bark.

It is grown as an ornamental tree in Europe and North America.

References

Japanese Tree Lilac - Syringa Reticulata - In Japan there is a Lilac that grows as a tree form! Get a look at the Japanese Tree Lilac, and find out if it will grow in your garden.