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This outstanding Morton Arboretum specimen one
of the original plantings from the time of Joy
Morton's founding in 1922.
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Although a Lilac,
it's quite
different in appearance than those
with which gardeners are more
familiar. Its rounded habit varies
from symmetrical to irregular.
Cultivars including ‘Ivory Silk’ and
‘Summer Snow’ could be used instead
of the species due to the more
consistent habit and more flowers.
‘Summer Snow’ is spectacular in
flower and the persistent seed pods
carry ornamental interest into the
fall. This is a very large shrub or
small tree, reaching a height of
about 20 to 30 feet with a 20 to
25-foot-spread. The huge clusters of
creamy white flowers, borne in early
summer for about two weeks, are the
main ornamental feature but lack the
fragrance of the spring-blooming
Lilacs -- this Lilac’s fragrance is
more suggestive of privet.
Uses: container
or above-ground planter; large
parking lot islands (> 200 square
feet in size); wide tree lawns (>6
feet wide); medium-sized tree lawns
(4-6 feet wide); recommended for
buffer strips around parking lots or
for median strip plantings in the
highway; near a deck or patio;
screen; trainable as a standard;
narrow tree lawns (3-4 feet wide);
specimen; sidewalk cutout (tree
pit); residential street tree; tree
has been successfully grown in urban
areas where air pollution, poor
drainage, compacted soil, and/or
drought are common . [2]
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See also subordinate taxa:
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- Native:
- ASIA-TEMPERATE
Soviet Far East:
Russian Federation -
Amur, Primorye
Mongolia:
Mongolia
China: China
- Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang,
Henan, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei
Monggol, Ningxia, Shaanxi,
Shanxi, Sichuan
[n.]
Eastern Asia:
Japan - Hokkaido, Honshu,
Kyushu, Shikoku; Korea
[1]
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Japanese Tree Lilac is being used as
a street tree in some parts of the
country, particularly in areas with
overhead power lines. Japanese Tree
Lilac is also popular as a garden
specimen or as an accent in a shrub
border. It deserves to be in any
landscape. It provides shade and a
colorful spring show for a deck or
patio area. Green fruit clusters are
somewhat showy when viewed from
close range.
The tree is sold as a multi-stemmed
specimen or as a single-trunked
street tree. The trunk is often
trained fairly straight to 10 feet
and then it branches into a stiff,
upright, rounded head of foliage.
The bark
is somewhat showy with prominent
lenticels, being reminiscent of
Black Cherry. As with other Lilacs,
the plant as a shrub may need
rejuvenation by pruning every few
years as it becomes overgrown. It is
perhaps the most pest-resistant
Lilac, but that does not mean it is
pest-free. Regular irrigation during
dry spells help make this a
pest-resistant tree.
Japanese Tree Lilac is tolerant of
urban conditions, growing in poor,
clay or alkaline soil. The gorgeous
flowers are most showy and prolific
when the tree is located in full sun
with good drainage. Plants in
partial shade can be infected with
powdery mildew which can cause some
defoliation. Another available
cultivar is ‘Ivory Silk’ which grows
in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 6 into
an upright oval with nice flowers
which are borne in alternate years.
Pests
If properly located on an
appropriate site, there are few
problems, but borers can severely
affect trees in certain areas. Lilac
borer larvae tunnel in the branches,
causing wilting, particularly on
drought-stressed trees. Severely
infested branches may break off.
Remove and destroy infested stems.
Keep plants healthy with regular
watering during dry weather and by
fertilizing. Lilac leaf miner
tunnels in the leaves in early
summer. After mining the leaf, the
caterpillars emerge and web leaves
together and skeletonize the
foliage. Light infestation can be
controlled by hand picking. Scales
are most often found infesting the
lower stems and often blend in with
the bark. Inspect unhealthy-looking
plants for scale infestations. Spray
with horticultural oil for some
control.
Diseases
Usually free of serious disease, but
can be affected in certain regions
by disease. Bacterial blight is most
serious on white flowered varieties.
The young shoots develop black
stripes or one side of the shoot
turns black. Spots develop on the
leaves, forming a water-soaked
blotch. Young leaves turn black and
die quickly. On older shoots, the
spots enlarge more slowly. The
flowers wilt and darken. The disease
is worse when wet weather occurs as
the new shoots are developing. Thin
plants to increase air circulation.
Remove and destroy diseased shoots
and avoid excessive nitrogen
fertilizer. Phytophthora blight
kills stems to the ground. The
leaves turn black and shoots have
brown lesions on them.
Leaf blotch causes zoned, brown
spots. The infected area drops out,
leaving a hole in the leaf. Many
fungi cause leaf spots. Powdery
mildew coats the leaves with white
powder. During wet weather, Lilacs
mildew easily. Mildew is especially
severe on shade-grown plants. Ignore
late season infections. Verticillium
wilt causes wilting and premature
leaf drop. The disease may kill one,
several or all the
branches. Try fertilizing regularly
to help prevent diseases.
Bacterial crown gall causes round,
warty galls on the stems near the
soil line. Remove infected plants
and do not replant in the same spot.
[2] |
Synonyms:
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Classification:
Syringa
reticulata (Blume) H. Hara
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Related
Taxa:
Syringa
reticulata (Blume) H. Hara
View
14 genera in Oleaceae,
16 species in Syringa
or click below on a thumbnail map or
name for species profiles.
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Although a lilac, this member of the species is
quite different in appearance than those with
which gardeners are more familiar.
This is a very large shrub or small tree. The
white flowers, borne in early summer, are the
main ornamental feature. |
