• Photo of Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens (Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescenss)

Plant Profile: Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens

Names

Downy Lilac, Hairy Lilac, Korean Lilac, Meyer Lilac

  • Photo of Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens (Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescenss)

Phonetic Spelling:si-RING-gah pew-BES-senz pew-BES-senz

Genus:Syringa

Species:pubescens

Family:Oleaceae

Syringa meyeri, commonly known as Meyer Lilac, is a low-growing shrub that spreads wider than it reaches in height. It features reddish-purple buds that unfurl into fragrant, pale lilac flowers. This plant is known for its abundant blooming in mid-season, usually around mid-May, and it tends to flower early in its life cycle. Meyer Lilac can be effectively utilized in shrub borders or grouped together to create a low hedge.

This variety exhibits greater resistance to mildew compared to many other lilacs and thrives in urban environments. While it prefers full sunlight, it can also adapt to partial shade. For optimal growth, it requires moist, well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Although it can tolerate less-than-ideal soil conditions, it struggles in heavy clay or areas with poor drainage.

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Feature Summary

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Image Gallery

Tags

#fragrant
#hummingbirds
#showy flowers
#deciduous
#full sun tolerant
#heat tolerant
#drought tolerant
#specimen
#shrub
#easy to grow
#purple flowers
#pink flowers
#partial sun
#cut flowers
#low maintenance
#cottage garden
#accent plant
#erosion control
#hedges
#mounding
#multistemmed
#neutral ph
#deer resistant
#dense
#lavender flowers
#foundation planting
#rounded
#borders
#cutting garden
#alkaline soil tolerant
#screening
#poor soils tolerant
#mildew resistant
#urban conditions tolerant
#compact habit
#dry soils tolerant
#oval
#butterfly friendly

Similar Plants

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Feature Summary

Attributes
Northern China and Korea, northern Japan
Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Perennial
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Layering
Fragrance
Attracts Pollinators
Colorful
Screening
Attractive Flowers
Easy to Grow
Fruit
dry brown capsule persists into winter
Brown/Copper
< 1 inch
Flowers
Fragrant violet-purple flowers densely packed on 4" panicle. Blooms in May.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Fragrant
Good Cut
Showy
Leaves
Dark green leaves, .7 to 1.7" with slightly wavy margins with nearly palmate venation. Non-showy fall color.
Gold/Yellow
Insignificant
Elliptical
Ovate
Orbicular
Entire
Undulate
1-3 inches
Stem
stems are gray-brown, shoots have prominent lenticels
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Conspicuous
Whole Plant Traits
Multi-stemmed
Rounded
Mounding
Dense
Oval
Medium
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)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
3a
3b
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Cottage Garden
Asian Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Accent
Screen/Privacy
Specimen
Drought
Deer
Heat
Urban Conditions
Dry Soil
Erosion
Poor Soil
Patio
Walkways
Woodland
Butterflies
Hummingbirds

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Attributes

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Country Or Region Of Origin

Northern China and Korea, northern Japan

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Wildlife Value

Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens Fruit

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Fruit Description

dry brown capsule persists into winter

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Fruit Type

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Flowers

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Flower Description

Fragrant violet-purple flowers densely packed on 4" panicle. Blooms in May.

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender
filter_vintage
White

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Flower Value To Gardener

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Flower Shape

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Leaves

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Description

Dark green leaves, .7 to 1.7" with slightly wavy margins with nearly palmate venation. Non-showy fall color.

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Insignificant

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Type

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Margin

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Length

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Stem

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Stem Description

stems are gray-brown, shoots have prominent lenticels

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gray/Silver

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Stem Lenticels

Conspicuous
Not Conspicuous

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Whole Plant Traits

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Cultural Conditions

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: Soil pH

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Soil Drainage

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

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
3a
thermostat
3b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens Landscape

Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: 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 pubescens subsp. pubescens: Attracts

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