Japanese Tree Lilac - Syringa reticulata

 

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The Japanese tree lilac, Syringa reticulata, is not your typical lilac shrub. It is actually a tree lilac! The tree is native to Japan but has acclimated to grow in cooler climates, such as Minnesota, very well. The tree can grow to heights of 30’ tall and 20’ wide with an oval-rounded crown. Reddish-brown, cherry-like peeling bark is attractive on younger branches and gradually turns gray with age. The leaves on the tree are simple and ovate in shape with a rounded base and grow in opposite arrangements on the stems. The leaves will be dark green in the summer with little color change in the fall. Its best ornamental feature is its showy, fragrant, creamy white flowers which bloom in upright panicles to 12” long in late spring to early summer. This tree is perfect for continuing on with the fragrant flowers lilacs are well known for since these tend to bloom later in the season than traditional lilac shrubs. The flowers give way to loose clusters of brown capsules that persist into winter.  

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The Japanese lilac tree prefers moist, well-drained soils. It can also tolerate dry sites, alkaline soils, and road salts. The wide range of tolerable environments that the tree can handle makes it well suited as an urban landscape tree. It is already being widely used in the urban landscape around Minnesota in parks, boulevards, and residential lawns. It’s often planted under power lines because of its short stature. It is not recommended to plant this tree anywhere lower than USDA Hardiness Zone 7 as past this it does not acclimate well to the warmer climates. 

Japanese tree lilac does not have any major disease or pathogen issues. Bacterial blight and leaf spots are possible, but these are mainly cosmetic issues. Light trimming or pruning is needed immediately after flowering. The flower seeds can provide some interest in the summer landscape and attract birds for food. 

The flowers that bloom on the tree attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds, along with other insect pollinators. The blooms also provide a nice fragrance when walking nearby a tree. Japanese tree lilac has quite a few cultivars, which can allow for more variety or options of appearance that might be better suited for certain areas. Ivory Silk Japanese tree lilac is a common cultivar due to it being the most compact with growing up to 20ft high and flowers profusely early on at a young age. The Snowdance™ Japanese tree lilac also flowers early on like the Ivory Silk Japanese lilac tree and also has prolific blooms. The Golden Eclipse Japanese tree lilac can provide more color during the summer months since the leaves develop gold edges as the season progresses.