
Flowering shrub
Meyer lilac
Syringa meyeri
Meyer lilac (Syringa meyeri) is a shrub in the Oleaceae family.
Meyer lilac is a popular flowering shrub. It's on our flower lists for 37 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 23, 2026. Our state lists also include states where people grow it in gardens, so they can outnumber USDA's wild-plant records. Planted garden shrubs are mostly excluded from research grade.
On our lists for: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Quick look
Syringa pubescens is a species of flowering plant in the lilac genus of the family Oleaceae, native to Korea and China.
- It belongs to the Oleaceae family. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 17 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #133 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 16 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #140 among the 193 flowers on our New York list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 9 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #113 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in the 37 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 🌷 Garden | few records (1) | 17 |
| New York | 🌷 Garden | few records (3) | 16 |
| Colorado | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 9 |
| Minnesota | 🌷 Garden | few records (2) | 9 |
| Pennsylvania | 🌷 Garden | few records (1) | 9 |
| Illinois | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 7 |
| Michigan | 🌷 Garden | few records (1) | 5 |
| New Jersey | 🌷 Garden | few records (1) | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 5 |
| Iowa | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 3 |
| Indiana | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 3 |
| Nebraska | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 3 |
| Missouri | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 2 |
| Washington | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 2 |
| Georgia | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| Kansas | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| Maryland | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| North Carolina | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| Utah | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| West Virginia | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Arkansas | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| California | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Connecticut | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Delaware | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Idaho | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Kentucky | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Maine | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Montana | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| New Mexico | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Oregon | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| South Dakota | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Tennessee | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Virginia | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
| Vermont | 🌷 Garden | no flowering records | 0 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- State rare plant lists
- Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 27 of our 37 states.
See each state
- Ohio
- Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). OAC 1501:18-1-03
- New York
- Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). 6 NYCRR § 193.3
- Minnesota
- Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). Minn. R. 6134.0300
- Pennsylvania
- Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
- Illinois
- Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. IL E&T checklist 2025
- Michigan
- Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). R 299.1028
- New Jersey
- Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
- Wisconsin
- Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NR 27.03
- Iowa
- Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). IAC 571-77.3
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). 163 NAC 4-004
- Missouri
- Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. 3 CSR 10-4.111
- Georgia
- Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
- Massachusetts
- Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). MESA list
- Maryland
- Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). COMAR 08.03.08
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). 02 NCAC 48F .0301
- New Hampshire
- Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NH Ncr 312
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Connecticut
- Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). CT E/T/SC list
- Delaware
- Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). DE rare plants 2024
- Kentucky
- Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). 400 KAR 3:040
- Maine
- Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. Maine rare plant list
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Oregon
- Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). OAR 603-073-0070
- Rhode Island
- Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). RI rare plants 2016
- Tennessee
- Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
- Virginia
- Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). 2VAC5-320-10
- Vermont
- Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). Vermont E&T list
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead.
- Indiana
- No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead.
- Washington
- No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead.
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants.
- Utah
- No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead.
- West Virginia
- No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead.
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead.
- Idaho
- No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead.
- Montana
- No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead.
- South Dakota
- No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants.
Checked October 23, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.
Names, range and relatives
Other Syringa on Bloomipedia (3): Purple lilac, Japanese tree lilac, Hairy lilac.
More from the Oleaceae family (9 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Downy forestiera, White fringetree, Spiny menodora, Border forsythia, Sweet olive, Chinese fringetree.
Meyer lilac and Hairy lilac are covered by the same Wikipedia article. They are listed separately because iNaturalist treats them as different taxa (Syringa meyeri and Syringa pubescens).
More Ohio flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SYME3.
- iNaturalist, Syringa meyeri: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 23, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Syringa pubescens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- State rare and invasive plant lists (62):
Show all 62 state lists
- Ohio: Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024).
- Ohio: Ohio invasive plant species (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01).
- New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
- New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
- Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
- Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
- Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
- Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
- New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
- New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
- Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
- Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
- Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
- New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
- Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
- Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
- Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
- Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
- Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
- Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
- Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
- Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 23, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: dinomariobob via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.


