Lilac Tree Leaf Identification
- Bark and Flowers. Although on older trees the trunk may become gray and scaly, the younger branches will have the glossy...
- Opposite Leaves. To distinguish between cherries and tree lilacs, look to the leaves. Cherry trees have "alternate...
- Each Leaf. Individual tree lilac leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and about half as wide, dark green...
How tall do Lilacs grow?
It all depends on the variety. Shrub lilacs and bush lilacs are short and compact. Tree lilacs are trickier. The classic definition of a tree is that it is over 13 feet (4 m.) tall and has a single trunk. Tree lilacs can grow up to 25 feet (7.6 m.) high and have a tree-like appearance, but their many stems tend to get them classified as bushes.
How can you tell a lilac tree from a bush?
Tree lilac also produces creamy white, fragrant plumes of flowers in early summer. Their fragrance is more like privet than shrub lilac--sweet but musty. For the 2 weeks when it is in bloom, the flowers are the easiest way to identify tree lilac; there aren't many trees with plumy, fragrant, creamy flowers.
What is the difference between lilac leaves and lilac trees?
The leaves of this lilac tree also differ from those of the common lilac, identifiable by certain features. One characteristic of the leaves of the lilac tree are how they emerge and grow on the twigs. The leaves grow opposite each other, with pairs of leaves growing at each node on the twig.
What kind of bark does a lilac tree have?
The tree lilac's bark resembles cherry tree bark: satiny brown or red-brown, marked with prominent horizontal slits called "lenticels." Although on older trees the trunk may become gray and scaly, the younger branches will have the glossy bark.
What does a Common lilac tree look like?
Lilac is a large multi-stemmed deciduous tree or shrub with conical clusters of fragrant pink, white, or purple flowers. Lilac trees bloom in late spring, and the blooms last for up to four weeks. Their large heart-shaped leaves and dense foliage can provide an ideal privacy fence.
Do I have a lilac tree or bush?
The difference comes down to the amount and placement of stems. Lilac bushes (AKA shrubs) are defined in the typical manner, with multiple woody stems coming up from the base of the plant. In contrast, most lilac trees have one single woody stem: the trunk.
What does the bark of a lilac tree look like?
Bark and Flowers The tree lilac's bark resembles cherry tree bark: satiny brown or red-brown, marked with prominent horizontal slits called "lenticels." Although on older trees the trunk may become gray and scaly, the younger branches will have the glossy bark.
What does a flowering lilac tree look like?
Appearance. Bloomerang lilac trees are more compact than other lilacs, growing to a small stature of 4-6 feet tall with a 4-6 foot spread, giving them a pleasant, round shape. Their veined leaves are deep green for most of the year and turn yellow in fall and grow on long, arched branches.
What should lilac bushes look like?
The blooms appear in branching clusters or panicles. Each flower is only about 1/3 inch across. The leaves are gray-green to blue-green in color and reach around 2 to 5 inches long; they do not change color in the fall. And the bark of this shrub is gray to grayish brown.
What do lilacs look like before they bloom?
0:011:26What do lilac buds even look like??? | Home Gardening - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd they you can see that they look a little bit like what the lilacs will be forming into and thenMoreAnd they you can see that they look a little bit like what the lilacs will be forming into and then as you go down the stem you can see two more where those leaves are parted.
What does lilac wood look like?
Color/Appearance: Colors can be variable depending on species. Sometimes seen with reddish or lavender color streaks throughout the heartwood. Grain/Texture: Slightly interlocked grain, with a very fine texture.
What does a Japanese tree lilac look like?
Plants can be grown as large shrubs or small trees. Japanese tree lilac grows 20 to 30 feet tall with a spread of 15 to 25 feet. Leaves are simple, opposite, entire, ovate, and 3 to 6 inches long, half as wide, with long, tapered tip. The medium to dark green leaves are slightly fuzzy beneath.
What is the shape of lilac leaves?
Leaves, flowers and fruits: Common lilac leaves are heart-shaped with smooth edges. Leaf buds are separate from flower buds. Leaf buds are smaller and more pointed than flower buds, which are larger, round, and lighter green.
How many different types of lilac trees are there?
Lilac flowers belong to the Oleaceae family and is a genus of about 20 to 25 flowering species with over 1,000 varieties of lilac bushes.
What are the different types of lilacs?
Common lilacMiss Kim LilacSyringa meyeriJapanese tree lilacHungarian lilacSyringa × persicaLilac/Lower classifications
Do you prune lilac trees?
As a general rule for all lilacs, they should be pruned immediately after they're done flowering in the spring. Since lilacs set next year's flower buds right after the current year's flowers have faded, pruning later in the summer or fall will result in cutting off many or all of next year's flowers.
How tall is a lilac tree?
Shrub lilacs and bush lilacs are short and compact. The classic definition of a tree is that it is over 4m (13') tall and has a single trunk. Tree lilacs can grow up to 7 m (25') high and have a tree-like appearance, but their many stems tend to get them classified as bushes.
When do lilacs bloom?
The common lilac flowers (Syringa vulgaris) are lilac, fragrant, and depending on geographic location bloom in May. Flowers are borne in large terminal panicles that are 10 to 20cm (4 to 8") long and quite showy.
Is a lilac a tree or a shrub?
The lilac is perhaps the most sought-after blooms to add a soft, yet pleasant scent to homes. Depending on the variety, some lilacs are considered either a shrub or a tree. Shrub lilacs and bush lilacs are short and compact.
How long are a sage plant's leaves?
Leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, 2 to 4 inches long and vibrant green. Blossoms in mid. to late spring with sweet fragrant clusters of mauve flowers, 4 to 8 inches long. Branches can grow fairly straight or turn into many winding stems moving in a twisting and spiral course.
How tall is a syringa?
Family: Oleaceae (olive) Click on images of Lilac to enlarge. Deciduous. A tall, medium size shrub that sometimes looks like a small tree. Height is 7 to 16′ and can get up to 12′ wide. Leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, 2 to 4 inches long and vibrant green.
How to Care for a Lilac Tree
To care for a lilac tree, grow it in full sun and humus-rich, well-drained soil. Water the lilac regularly during spring if rainfall is less than 1” (2.5 cm). In spring, apply compost and mulch around the root area. Remove suckers in spring to retain the tree shape.
Lilac Tree (Syringa vulgaris) Facts
Common lilac is a large shrub or small tree in the genus Syringa and the olive family Oleaceae. A lilac shrub-like tree grows 8 to 16 ft. (2.4 – 5 m) tall and 6 to 12 ft. (1.8 – 3.6 m) wide. This fast-growing tree has a vase-shaped or round crown, and the dense foliage provides shelter and shade.
Is Lilac a Shrub or a Tree?
Lilac is classified as a large deciduous shrub or a small multi-stemmed tree. If left to its own devices, a lilac plant produces suckers that form multiple woody stems or thin trunks with light brown or gray bark. Therefore, regular pruning is necessary to remove stems that grow around the central trunk.
Lilac Tree Flowers
Lilac flowers are the most attractive feature of this easy-to-grow flowering tree. The attractive lilac flowers are conical blooms made up of highly fragrant individual flowers. Each tiny flower has four to five petals. Lilac blooms measure between 6” and 8” (15 to 20 cm) long.
When Do Lilac Trees Bloom?
Lilac trees generally have a short blooming time—just three to four weeks in spring. However, there are varieties of lilac that bloom at different times throughout the season. Planting various lilac shrubs and trees can ensure a longer blooming time for up to six weeks.
What Do Lilac Tree Flowers Smell Like?
Lilac flowers give off a strong, sweet fragrance that fills the air. The deep, rich floral aromas have hints of vanilla and are like the fragrance of roses. However, if the scent of lilac is too over-powering, then some lilac cultivars have little or no scent.
Types of Lilac Tree
There are hundreds of varieties of lilac trees and shrubs for your garden landscape. Lilac trees have various colors, including pure white, dusty pink, vibrant magenta flowers, and various shades of purple. Some of the most spectacular lilac trees have clusters of multicolored flowers.
What are the characteristics of a lilac tree?
Opposite Pattern. One characteristic of the leaves of the lilac tree are how they emerge and grow on the twigs. The leaves grow opposite each other, with pairs of leaves growing at each node on the twig.
How tall do lilac trees grow?
Size and Time Frame 1 The Japanese lilac tree (Syringa reticulata) grows taller than the typical common lilac bush, developing to heights of 30 feet. 2 The lilac tree has leaves that grow between 2 and 5 inches in length, notes the University of Connecticut Plant Database website.
Why are my lilac leaves turning whitish?
This type of ailment causes the leaves to take on a whitish tint to them, with the disease affecting the look of the leaves the most from midsummer to late summer.
What are the leaves of a Japanese lilac tree?
The leaves of the Japanese lilac tree are lanceolate to ovate, according to the Missouri Botanical Gardens website. This means that some have the shape of a spear point, while others are more elliptical in their form. The leaves are simple with a single blade. The leaves differ from those of the common lilac shrub, which are heart-shaped. The bases of the leaves on a lilac tree are much rounder.
When do lilac leaves fall?
The leaves develop in the early part of spring on a Japanese lilac. The tree is deciduous, so the leaves will fall from the limbs by winter. The Japanese lilac tree (Syringa reticulata) grows taller than the typical common lilac bush, developing to heights of 30 feet. The lilac tree has leaves that grow between 2 and 5 inches in length, ...
Do lilac trees change color?
Color. From their early stages of their development, the leaves of the lilac tree take on a dark shade of green. The tree is not at all noteworthy for any color from its foliage come autumn. The leaves never change colors; they remain the same shade of green before the tree sheds them.
How tall does a lilac grow?
The flowers are lilac colored and have a strong fragrance. Common lilac grows to a height of about 20 feet (6 m.). Persian lilac ( S. persica ): This variety grows 10 feet (3 m.) tall. The flowers are pale lilac in color, and about half the diameter of common lilacs.
What zone do lilacs grow in?
Hungarian lilac ( S. josikaea) is a similar species with darker flowers. These common lilac varieties are only grown in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 or 4 through 7 because they need freezing winter temperatures to break dormancy and produce flowers.
How many species of lilac are there?
Common Lilac Varieties. Horticulturists have cross bred the 28 species of lilac so extensively that even the experts sometimes have trouble telling lilac plant types apart. Even so, some species have attributes that might make them better suited to your garden and landscape.
What is the difference between a Japanese lilac and a Chinese lilac?
amurensis ): This variety grows into a 30 foot (9 m.) tree with off-white flowers. Japanese tree lilac ( S. amurensis ‘Japonica’) is a type of tree lilac with unusual, very pale yellow flowers. Chinese lilac ( S. chinensis ): This is one of the best varieties to use as a summer screen or hedge.
How tall do lilac trees grow?
Tree lilacs can grow up to 25 feet (7.6 m.) high and have a tree-like appearance, but their many stems tend to get them classified as bushes. They are not technically trees, but they get big enough that you can treat them as if they are.
How tall is a lilac?
This large upright shrub lilac usually grows to 8 feet (2.4 m.) in height, but some varieties can be as short as 4 feet (1.2 m.). Densely branched shrub and bush lilacs are specific types bred for lots of flowers in small space. The Manchurian lilac gets anywhere from 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.7 m.) tall and wide, ...
What are the two types of lilacs?
Lilac shrub or bush varieties can be split into two categories: large upright and densely branched. In the first category is the common lilac, a hugely diverse plant that comes in a wide range of colors and fragrances.
How tall is a Japanese lilac?
The Japanese tree lilac reaches heights of 25 feet (7.6 m.) and produces fragrant white flowers. A very popular cultivar of this variety is the “Ivory Silk.”. The Pekin tree lilac (also called the Peking tree lilac) can reach 15 to 24 feet (4.6 to 7.3 m.) and comes in a variety of colors from yellow on the Beijing Gold cultivar to white on ...
Is a lilac a tree or a shrub?
Image by herreid. Is lilac a tree or a shrub? It all depends on the variety. Shrub lilacs and bush lilacs are short and compact. Tree lilacs are trickier. The classic definition of a tree is that it is over 13 feet (4 m.) tall and has a single trunk.
How big do Littleleaf Lilacs get?
They're shorter, wider shrubs than the common lilac, and the 'Superba' cultivar is even broader, growing to 14 feet wide while remaining only about 7 feet high . It has a number of additional advantages, including more petite leaves; lush, rosy-pink flowers; a small rebloom in summer and fall; and better resistance to powdery mildew. This is the rare lilac that offers full season appeal.
How long does it take for a lilac to grow?
Prune off all side shoots on a young shrub to a strong central leader, and maintain this shape with annual pruning after flowering. It's a fairly slow-growing variety, requiring 10–20 years to achieve its full size.
Why plant a lilac bench?
If you've been looking for a reason to purchase a garden bench, plant a 'Katherine Havemeyer' lilac because you will want to sit near it. The lush, flower panicles are as appealing to touch as they are to smell. Sitting beneath its May blossoms while you sip a cup of tea feels positively decadent. This is another common lilac cultivar, but it has a particularly long bloom period. It pairs well with clematis vines growing up through its branches. This variety has light green, heart-shaped leaves and produces very fragrant lavender-purple blooms that fade to pink as they mature.
What is an anndenken an lilac?
Andenken An Louis Spaeth (Syringa vulgaris 'Andeken an Louis Spaeth') Neil Holmes / Getty Images. This cultivar of the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, which is sometimes sold by its translated name, 'Souvenir of Louis Spaeth', is a beautiful shrub with purple-red flowers that appear in May.
How tall does a Korean lilac grow?
Unlike the common lilac, which can be a chore to keep pruned, the Korean lilac is a smallish shrub that grows to no more than 8 feet high. The 'Palibin' cultivar is an even shorter plant, at 5 feet high, but its 7-foot spread creates enough heft for use in a spring border without overwhelming the average suburban lot. The dense growth habit makes it a good candidate for a hedge, too. The flowers are pale pink, blooming in April and May. As a bonus, the shrubs are resistant to mildew.
What is the name of the lilac plant that has a stop and stare?
Sensation is another popular cultivar of the common lilac. The bicolor flowers of this variety live up to their name, providing gardeners with a stop-and-stare (and smell) specimen for the back of the spring border. If your shrub produces branches with non-variegated flowers, prune those out so the plant doesn't revert to solid purple flowers.
What is a sucker lilac?
Suckers are vigorous vertical growth originating from the roots or lower main stem of a plant. This can be an advantage if you want the lilac to spread and become a screening thicket, but otherwise you'll need to regularly remove the suckers if you want the shrub to remain confined. 01 of 14.
