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Syringa
Also called Lilacs, Chinese Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 12 species of small woody shrubs and trees in the olive family, best known as garden lilacs. Lilacs grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, often chalky, and they flower on old wood, so prune only lightly after flowering.
Syringa is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family known colloquially as lilacs. They are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere.
The genus is most closely related to Ligustrum (privet), classified with it in Oleaceae tribus Oleeae subtribus Ligustrinae.
Lilacs are popular shrubs in parks and gardens throughout the temperate zone, and several hybrids and numerous cultivars have been developed. The term French lilac is often used to refer to modern double-flowered cultivars, thanks to the work of prolific breeder Victor Lemoine. Lilacs grow most successfully in well-drained soils, particularly those based on chalk. They flower on old wood, and produce more flowers if unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers, in an attempt to restore the removed branches. Lilac bushes can be prone to powdery mildew disease.
Lilac wood is not commonly used or commercially harvested due to the small size of the tree. It is a relatively hard wood, with an estimated Janka hardness of 2,350 lbf (10,440 N), and is reportedly good for woodturning. The sapwood is typically cream-coloured and the heartwood can have various streaks of brown and purple.
Hungarian Lilac · Nodding Lilac · Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis · Syringa pinnatifolia · Daphne Lilac · Japanese tree lilac · Villous lilac · Common Lilac
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Syringa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
