Lilac
Lilac - Syringa vulgaris
Description
An upright, multi-stemmed, suckering shrub reaching 12 to 16 feet in height. It produces very fragrant, tubular, 4-lobed, lilac to purple flowers borne in large conical panicles which may be 6 to 8inches in length.
Identification difficulty
Habitat
Hedgerows, railway verges and waste ground. It is often found as an escape from cultivation, but can readily become established and persist in the wild.
When to see it
Flowering late April and May.
Life History
Deciduous shrub.
UK Status
Widespread and fairly frequent in Britain.
VC55 Status
Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 34 of the 617 tetrads.
Graham Calow
Near High Cross
09 May 2016
Craig Mabbett
Broughton Astley Church Footpath
14 May 2021
Saharima Roenisch
Evington Park
07 May 2018
Graham Calow
Near High Cross
20 April 2016
Saharima Roenisch
Leicester Victoria Park
31 August 2020
Saharima Roenisch
Leicester Victoria Park
31 August 2020
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Additional images
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Erysiphe syringae
Erysiphe syringae is a white, powdery mildew affecting Lilac and producing an opaque-white discoloration of the leaves.
Care – there are other similar mildews that may affect Lilac and microscopic examination is necessary.
Gracillaria syringella
The larva of the moth Gracillaria syringella mines the leaves of Lilac, Ash, Privet and Jasmine, often gregariously, in a large blotch mine.