Lilac - Syringa vulgaris

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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

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

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MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names: Lilac
Species group:: Trees, Shrubs & Climbers
Kingdom:: Plantae
Order:: Lamiales
Family:: Oleaceae
Records on NatureSpot:: 50
First record:: 20/04/2016 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:: 17/11/2025 (Pugh, Dylan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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