“The flowers are white, cream, or grey and bloom in showy clusters…”– Summary
Whole plant (Japanese Lilac Tree)
Syringa reticulata was first described by Blume (1850) as Ligustrum reticulatum, sharing the yellow-white showy flower clusters with the Ligustrum genus. However, it was reclassified as Syringa reticulata by Hara (1941) who noted the difference in the fruits – separation of these genera is supported by morphology and genetic evidence (Li et al., 2001). There are also three subspecies and several varieties that are known and accepted.
Syringa reticulata is easy to identify from other species in the genus Syringa. Syringa reticulata can have one or more trunks but is more tree-like than other species in the genus. Also, most other Syringa species have yellow or purple flowers while S. reticulata has white-cream flowers (NC State, n.d.).
The species name, reticulata, means net-like and refers to the pattern of the veins of the leaves.
Although a lilac, S. reticulata does not have a characteristic lilac smell, but rather has hints of vanilla and anise.
Native
Introduced
Syringa reticulata can be found growing on cliffs in its native habitat in Japan (Li et al., 2001). Some consider it to be endemic (only naturally occurring) to Japan, however, it may be naturalized in nearby Asian countries (Flora of China, 2024). Syringa reticulata is tolerant of urban conditions and can grow in poor, clay, or alkaline soils. Syringa reticulata produces the biggest, showiest flowers when the tree is in full sun and has good soil drainage. Because of its resilience, S. reticulata is also winter tolerant, making it a common choice for outdoor cultivation (Gilman and Watson, 2015).
This plant is considered to be of least concern for conservation (Kim et al., 2016).
