College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Plant Database

Syringa reticulata

Japanese Tree Lilac

Oleaceae

Japanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree LilacJapanese Tree Lilac
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Habitat

  • native to northern Japan
  • hardy to zone 3
  • plant does not like warm climates

Habit and Form

  • a deciduous large shrub or small tree
  • stiff, spreading branches
  • rounded crown
  • 20' to 30' tall
  • 15' to 25' wide
  • medium growth rate
  • medium texture

Summer Foliage

  • opposite arranged leaves
  • simple, entire leaves
  • 2" to 5" long
  • rounded leaf base
  • dark green leaf color
  • leafs out early in spring

Autumn Foliage

  • poor fall color

Flowers

  • off-white flowers
  • fragrant
  • blooms in early summer
  • flowers are borne in large terminal panicles
  • panicles are up to a foot long
  • panicles can be up to 10" wide
  • showy

Fruit

  • capsules borne in large panicles
  • capsules have a blunt tip
  • capsules are a tan color
  • somewhat ornamental

Bark

  • color is a gray-brown
  • stout stems, that are shiny brown
  • horizontal lenticels

Culture

  • full sun
  • transplants easily
  • prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil
  • prune after flowering
  • cut off old flower heads
  • somewhat resistant to mildew, scales and borers

Landscape Use

  • specimen
  • street tree
  • small groupings
  • for flowering effect
  • for high quality foliage and form

Liabilities

  • does not have as severe of a pest problem as other Lilacs
  • caterpillars

ID Features

  • always white flowers in large panicles
  • very large panicles of fruit capsules
  • opposite leaf arrangement
  • shiny brown stems with horizontal lenticels
  • buds have 4 pairs of scales and are brown and sessile

Propagation

  • by cuttings
  • by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Chantilly Lace' - A form with variegated foliage, the leaves of this plant feature a pale creamy yellow perimeter. It will benefit from siting out of direct afternoon sun and good irrigation during drought. 'Cameo Jewel' is a new variegated form with yellow-cream splashed foliage.

'Ivory Silk' - This selection forms a pleasant, rounded tree to 25' tall with stocky branch structure. It is very common in commerce and blooms heavily, even as a young plant. The healthy, deep green leaves are not bothered by pests and the cherry-esque bark is attractive all year.

'Summer Snow' - A more compact, rounded tree, this form reaches 20' tall with ample production of very large flower panicles. Its toughness and small size may make the plant a good street tree.

© Copyright Mark H. Brand, 1997-2015.

The digital materials (images and text) available from the UConn Plant Database are protected by copyright. Public use via the Internet for non-profit and educational purposes is permitted. Use of the materials for profit is prohibited.

Citation and Acknowledgements: University of Connecticut Plant Database, https://plantdatabase.uconn.edu/, Mark H. Brand, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Storrs, CT 06269-4067 USA.