Habitat

• native to northern Japan
• hardy to zone 3
• plant does not like warm climates

Habit and Form

• a deciduous large shrub or small tree
• stiff, spreading branches
• rounded crown
• 20' to 30' tall
• 15' to 25' wide
• medium growth rate
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• opposite arranged leaves
• simple, entire leaves
• 2" to 5" long
• rounded leaf base
• dark green leaf color
• leafs out early in spring

Autumn Foliage

• poor fall color

Flowers

• off-white flowers
• fragrant
• blooms in early summer
• flowers are borne in large terminal panicles
• panicles are up to a foot long
• panicles can be up to 10" wide
• showy

Fruit

• capsules borne in large panicles
• capsules have a blunt tip
• capsules are a tan color
• somewhat ornamental

Bark

• color is a gray-brown
• stout stems, that are shiny brown
• horizontal lenticels

Culture

• full sun
• transplants easily
• prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil
• prune after flowering
• cut off old flower heads
• somewhat resistant to mildew, scales and borers

Landscape Use

• specimen
• street tree
• small groupings
• for flowering effect
• for high quality foliage and form

Liabilities

• does not have as severe of a pest problem as other Lilacs
• caterpillars

ID Features

• always white flowers in large panicles
• very large panicles of fruit capsules
• opposite leaf arrangement
• shiny brown stems with horizontal lenticels
• buds have 4 pairs of scales and are brown and sessile

Propagation

• by cuttings
• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

'Chantilly Lace' - A form with variegated foliage, the leaves of this plant feature a pale creamy yellow perimeter. It will benefit from siting out of direct afternoon sun and good irrigation during drought. 'Cameo Jewel' is a new variegated form with yellow-cream splashed foliage.

'Ivory Silk' - This selection forms a pleasant, rounded tree to 25' tall with stocky branch structure. It is very common in commerce and blooms heavily, even as a young plant. The healthy, deep green leaves are not bothered by pests and the cherry-esque bark is attractive all year.

'Summer Snow' - A more compact, rounded tree, this form reaches 20' tall with ample production of very large flower panicles. Its toughness and small size may make the plant a good street tree.