Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 5415038

Japanese Tree Lilac

Syringa reticulata

Also known as Japanese Lilac

Japanese tree lilacs bloom weeks after typical shrub lilacs, crowning their canopy in early summer with frothy, foot-long clusters of creamy-white flowers that carry a musky, privet-like fragrance. Their smooth, reddish-brown bark bears prominent horizontal lenticels resembling cherry bark, maintaining distinctive visual appeal through cold winters. Widely adaptable to compacted urban soils and pollution, they provide sturdy nesting platforms for songbirds while supplying abundant early-season nectar for foraging insects.

Flowering TreeDeciduousUrban Tolerant
Japanese Tree Lilac reference
Licensed reference(c) Jeff Hansen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Sunlight, water, and soil minerals
Predators
  • Lilac borer larvae
  • White-tailed deer
  • Japanese beetle
ThreatsLilac borer infestations, powdery mildew, and bacterial blight
HabitatsTemperate mixed mountain forests, stream banks, and urban plantings
Life span40–60 years
Classification
  1. OrderLamiales
  2. FamilyOleaceae
  3. GenusSyringa
  4. SpeciesSyringa reticulata
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Summer Bloom: Look for massive frothy clusters in June and July, well after other lilacs finish blooming.
  • Bark Identification: Check mature trunks for reddish, cherry-like bark marked with clear horizontal breathing pores.
Related species
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