Syringa reticulata


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

Description

It is a deciduous small tree growing to a height of 39', rarely to 49', with a trunk up to 11.8", rarely 15.7" 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" long and 1/2"-4" 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" long and a four-lobed apex 0.12"-0.24" across, and a strong fragrance; they are produced in broad panicles 2"-11" long and 1"-8" broad in early summer. The fruit is a dry, smooth brown capsule, splitting in two to release the two winged seeds.

Distribution

Syringa reticulata is found in northern Japan, northern China, Korea, and far southeastern Russia.

Names

; translit=hashidoi
The Latin specific epithet reticulata means "netted".

Subspecies

There are three subspecies: