Plant Profile: Syringa oblata

Taxonomy: Syringa oblata

Names

Broadleaf Lilac, Early Lilac, Korean Lilac

  • Photo of Syringa oblata (Syringa oblatas)

Phonetic Spelling:si-RING-gah ob-LAH-tuh

Genus:Syringa

Species:oblata

Family:Oleaceae

Early Lilac, a member of the olive family, is a resilient flowering tree that thrives in hot summers and cold winters. However, its flower buds are vulnerable to frost damage during early spring, making good air circulation essential. For optimal enjoyment of its delightful fragrance, it is best to plant this tree near patios or walkways.

Syringa oblata flourishes in moist, nutrient-rich, well-drained soils, ideally with a pH level that is slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.

To encourage more blooms in the following year, it is advisable to remove spent flowers before they develop seeds.

In terms of pests and diseases, powdery mildew can affect the leaves in late summer, and leaf spot may also occur. Additionally, this plant may face threats from insects such as aphids, caterpillars, borers, and scale.

Syringa oblata Feature Summary

Syringa oblata Image Gallery

Tags

#hummingbirds
#hardy
#showy flowers
#deciduous
#fall color
#small tree
#full sun tolerant
#fragrant flowers
#perennial
#white flowers
#shrub
#easy to grow
#purple flowers
#partial sun
#cut flowers
#spring flowers
#cottage garden
#rabbit resistant
#flowering tree
#hedges
#well-drained soil
#spreading
#deer resistant
#ornamentals
#borders
#pollinator plant
#vase-shaped
#multitrunked
#urban conditions tolerant
#sandy soils tolerant
#walkways
#patio
#butterfly friendly

Similar Plants

Syringa oblata is often confused with:

Syringa oblata Feature Summary

Attributes
Harvested from the wild as a source of an essential oil.
Northern China , northwest Korea, and eastern Russia
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds
Perennial
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Layering
Fragrance
Attracts Pollinators
Attractive Flowers
Flowers
2-7" panicle of lilac-purple flowers.
Purple/Lavender
Fragrant
Good Cut
Showy
4-5 petals/rays
> 6 inches
Leaves
2-4" dark bluish-green leaves, acuminate tips, and cordate bases. New growth is bronze-red. Reddish to reddish-purple fall color.
Green
Blue
Gold/Yellow
Purple/Lavender
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
Ovate
Orbicular
Reniform
3-6 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Tree
Multi-trunked
Rounded
Spreading
Oval
Vase
Coarse
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Mountains
Piedmont
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Fruit
Brown/Copper
< 1 inch
Landscape
Cutting Garden
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Cottage Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Specimen
Flowering Tree
Small Tree
Deer
Urban Conditions
Rabbits
Patio
Walkways
Recreational Play Area
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Bark
Light Gray
Light Brown

Syringa oblata Attributes

Syringa oblata: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Harvested from the wild as a source of an essential oil.

Syringa oblata: Country Or Region Of Origin

China

Syringa oblata: Distribution

Northern China , northwest Korea, and eastern Russia

Syringa oblata: Wildlife Value

This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds

Syringa oblata: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Syringa oblata: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Syringa oblata: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Syringa oblata Flowers

Syringa oblata: Flower Description

2-7" panicle of lilac-purple flowers.

Syringa oblata: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Syringa oblata: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Syringa oblata: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Syringa oblata: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Syringa oblata: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Syringa oblata: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Syringa oblata: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Syringa oblata Leaves

Syringa oblata: Leaf Description

2-4" dark bluish-green leaves, acuminate tips, and cordate bases. New growth is bronze-red. Reddish to reddish-purple fall color.

Syringa oblata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Syringa oblata: Leaf Color

spa
Blue
spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Green
spa
Purple/Lavender

Syringa oblata: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Purple/Lavender
spa
Red/Burgundy

Syringa oblata: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Syringa oblata: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Syringa oblata: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Syringa oblata: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Syringa oblata: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Syringa oblata: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Syringa oblata Stem

Syringa oblata: Stem Description

Multi trunked.

Syringa oblata: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Syringa oblata Whole Plant Traits

Syringa oblata: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Syringa oblata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Syringa oblata: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Syringa oblata: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Syringa oblata: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Syringa oblata: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Syringa oblata Cultural Conditions

Syringa oblata: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Syringa oblata: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Syringa oblata: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Syringa oblata: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Syringa oblata: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Syringa oblata: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b

Syringa oblata: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Syringa oblata Fruit

Syringa oblata: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Syringa oblata: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper

Syringa oblata: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Syringa oblata: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Syringa oblata Landscape

Syringa oblata: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Syringa oblata: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Syringa oblata: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Syringa oblata: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Syringa oblata: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees

Syringa oblata Bark

Syringa oblata: Bark Color

grass
Light Brown
grass
Light Gray