Syringa reticulata

Japanese tree lilac
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Oleaceae
Genus: Syringa
Species:
S. reticulata
Binomial name
Syringa reticulata

Syringa reticulata, the Japanese tree lilac, is a species of flowering plant in the family Oleaceae. It is native to eastern Asia, and is grown as an ornamental in Europe and North America.

Description

It is a deciduous small tree growing to a height of 12 m (39 ft), rarely to 15 m (49 ft), with a trunk up to 30 cm (12 in), rarely 40 cm (16 in) in 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, 2.5–15 cm (0.98–5.91 in) long and 1–8 cm (0.39–3.15 in) 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" (4–6 mm) long and a four-lobed apex 0.12–0.24" (3–6 mm) across, and a strong fragrance; they are produced in broad panicles 5–30 cm (2.0–11.8 in) long and 3–20 cm (1.2–7.9 in) broad in early summer. The fruit is a dry, smooth, brown capsule (15–25 mm long), splitting in two to release the two winged seeds.

Their flowers produce a privet-like, honey-like smell, unlike common lilac (Syringa vulgaris). In the fall, the leaves take on a yellow-green color.

Distribution

Syringa reticulata is found in northern Japan (mainly Hokkaidō), northern China (Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan), Korea, and far southeastern Russia (Primorye).

Names

Chinese: 暴馬丁香; pinyin: Bào mǎ dīngxiāng; Japanese: ハシドイ (丁香花), romanized: hashidoi

The Latin specific epithet reticulata means "netted".

Subspecies

There are three subspecies:

Usages

Landscaping

Due to its ability to support many soils (including dry, alkaline soils and rock salts), it is often used in urban areas all around North America. Although not a native plant in many of these areas, it is able to attract many pollinators.

Medicine

The flowers of the tree have been used in Traditional Chinese medicine. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other properties have been studied.

References

  1. ↑ NRCS. "Syringa reticulata". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Flora of China: Syringa reticulata
  3. 1 2 Hanaki Kawahara Gardens: Syringa reticulata Archived 2012-02-09 at the Wayback Machine (in Japanese; google translation)
  4. ↑ Mitomori: Syringa reticulata (in Japanese; google translation)
  5. ↑ Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.
  6. ↑ January 2026, Editorial Team (2025-10-19). "Syringa reticulata (Japanese Tree Lilac): size, bloom, zones". Your Flowers Guide. Retrieved 2026-10-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Japanese tree lilac | Syringa reticulata subsp. reticulata". The Morton Arboretum. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  8. ↑ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Syringa reticulata
  9. ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
  10. ↑ "Japanese Tree Lilac | NDSU Agriculture". www.ndsu.edu. 2024-09-24. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  11. ↑ "The Japanese Tree Lilac". Halifax Tree Project. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  12. ↑ Zhu, Wenbo; Wang, Zhibin; Sun, Yanping; Yang, Bingyou; Wang, Qiuhong; Kuang, Haixue (2021-02-10). "Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of genus Syringa: A comprehensive review". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 266 113465. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113465 – via Elsevier Science Direct.