Scientific Name:
Syringa reticulata
'Ivory Silk'
Pronunciation:
sur-ING-guh ruh-tick-you-LAY-tuh
Common Name:
Ivory Silk Japanese tree lilac
Family Name:
Oleaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves similar to common lilac, ovate, most blades 7-12cm long x 4-7cm wide, petioles 1-2cm long; florets small, white, in large panicles (thryse). Winter ID: bark smooth coppery-gray, horizontal lenticels (like a young cherry tree); buds opposite, sessile, 2-4mm long, with four pairs scales, orange/brown, margins lighter colour, tips pointed.
Habit:
Dense, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical, Round
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
5 - 7m
Mature Spread:
4 - 5m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Garden origin, S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Alkaline
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Fragrance, Screening, Small garden/space, Specimen plant, Street (boulevard tree), Winter interest
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to Himalayan lilac.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Margins:
Sinuate
Inflorescence Type:
Thyrse, Floriferous, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Salverform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White (cream)
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Showy
Bark Morphology:
Prominent lenticels
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Red, Brown
Leaf Bud Type:
Rounded or globular
Leaf Scar Shape:
Half-round
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings, Grafting
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Caterpillar or cutworm, Leaf miner insect, Stem borer insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant)
Course(s):
- Level 4 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (BCE) Boulevard (Circular) Eastend : cv. Ivory Silk
- (BCW) Boulevard (Circular) Westend
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLW) Turf Field Lab West