Woody > Syringa > Syringa komarowii > Syringa komarowii subsp. reflexa
Syringa komarowii
ssp. reflexa
Nodding lilac
Origin: Found in China in Sichuan province. Named by the German botanist Camillo Karl Schneider after the Russian botanist and director of the Komarov Botanical Institute, Vladimir Leont'yevich Komarov. Komarov did not discover the plant, in fact dried specimens were sent back to the St. Petersburg Botanic Garden by Grigorii Nikolajevic in July 1893. It was the famous plant hunter E. H. Wilson who sent seed back for cultivation in 1911 having himself first seen the plant in 1903.
Mike's
Opinion
"
A stunning plant when in flower, with pendulous rich pink blooms similar to Preston lilac in casual form and leaf but with pendulous blooms. A class plant, but not common in cultivation.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Oleaceae |
| Genus |
| Syringa |
| Species |
| komarowii |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (deciduous) |
| Subspecies |
| reflexa |
| Synonyms |
| Syringa reflexa |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 3a–9b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4–7 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -40 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -40-25 |
| Height |
| 3-4 m |
| Spread |
| 3.5 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| This attractive, late blooming, hardy lilac is a class plant in the landscape, the blooms are also great as cut flowers: stunning when in bloom. Deeply fragrant. |
| Landscape |
| As an accent or specimen plant in the border, mine takes centre stage in a narrow border at the garden entrance. |
| Cultivation |
| Likes moist but well drained soils, with a pH that is between mildly acidic to mildly alkaline (6.1 to 7.8). Thrives best in full sun conditions. When pruning, do so after the flowers have faded within 2 weeks. It does tolerate clay soils as evidenced by the specimen pictured growing in the A. M. (Mac) Cuddy Gardens which is heavy clay soil. |
| Shape |
| Rounded to weeping in form often quite broad at the crown and narrow at the base. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| A deciduous stout-stemmed shrub that has extremely handsome foliage. Its large drooping, fragrant flower clusters vary in colour which seem to be nodding on the shrub. |
| Pests |
| Lilac scales, phytophthora blight, witches broom, lilac borer, mildew, rodents and deer. |
| Habitat |
| A native of rich soils of Northern China's Sichuan province found growing at about 2, 500 m in association with Rhododendron calophytum, Viburnum cinnamomifolium, Betula albosinensis, Acer davidii and Abies fabri. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Smooth, brown bark with pronounced lenticels. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Double terminal beds are usually just under 2 cm in length and quite plump. They have approximately 4 pairs of red-brown scales. |
| Leaf Description |
| Opposite, simple, oval-oblong to oblong lanceolate leaves. 7.5-20 cm long and half as wide. Very handsome dark green, glossy leaves with pronounced veins beneath. The petiole is 1.25 cm long. |
| Flower Description |
| These narrowly pyramidal panicles are 15-25 cm long and 3.7-10 cm wide. Their purple-pink flowers age pink with a white interior. The flowers are also quite fragrant which will attract bees and butterflies. |
| Fruit Description |
| Smooth capsule just under 2.5 cm long. |
| Colour Description |
| The foliage is a very handsome dark green with a lighter, paler green tone underneath. If grown under too much shade, the leaves will become lighter in colour and less glossy. |
| Texture Description |
| Medium in leaf and winter. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton, Ontario; The A.M. (Mac) Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy, Ontario. |
| Propagation |
| Suckering, softwood cuttings, grafting and tissue culture are all methods of propagation. Softwood cuttings and grafting are best done in the spring to mid-summer. |
top