SimplePlant

Oleaceae

Common lilac

Syringa vulgaris L.

Family
Oleaceae
Genus
Syringa

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsSafe
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Safe

Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
FlowerPhoto: Peeter Talvistu, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Is Common lilac safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Common lilac safe for cats?

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Common lilac safe for dogs?

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Is Common lilac safe for kids?

Our sources call Common lilac non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Common names

By language (53)
Afrikaans
Gewone sering
Albanian
Jargavan
Arabic
ليلك شائع, اغروان, الليك, ليلج
Armenian
Եղրևանի սովորական
Asturian
Lilá
Azerbaijani
Adi yasəmən
ba
Сирень
Basque
Lila
Belarusian
Бэз звычайны
Bulgarian
Обикновен люляк
Catalan
Lilà comú, Lilà
Chinese
欧丁香, 歐丁香, 欧丁香（洋丁香）, 洋丁香, 普通丁香
Croatian
Obični jorgovan
cv
Ахаль сирень
Czech
Šeřík obecný, Bez
Danish
Almindelig Syren
Dutch
Sering, Gewone sering
English
Common lilac, Lilac
Esperanto
Ordinara siringo, Siringo
Estonian
Harilik sirel
Finnish
Pihasyreeni
French
Lilas commun
frr
Kaatstört
Galician
Lila común, Lila
German
Gemeiner Flieder, Gewöhnlicher Flieder
Greek
Πασχαλιά, Σύριγγα η κοινή
hsb
Wšědny bozowc
Hungarian
Közönséges orgona, Májusi orgona
Icelandic
Garðasýrena
Irish
Líológ, Craobh liathchorcra
Italian
Lillà comune
Japanese
ライラック, ムラサキハシドイ, リラ, 紫丁香花
Korean
라일락
Lithuanian
Paprastoji alyva
Macedonian
Обичен јоргован
Malayalam
സിരിങ വൾഗാരിസ്
mwl
Lilás
nds
Zirienjen
Norwegian Bokmål
Syrin
Norwegian Nynorsk
Syrin
Persian
یاس خوشهای
Polish
Lilak pospolity
Portuguese
Lilás comum, Lilaseiro, Lilás
Romanian
Liliac
Russian
Сирень обыкновенная
Slovak
Orgován obyčajný
Slovenian
Španski bezeg, Jorgovan, Lipovka, Majnica, Majnik, Siringa
Spanish
Lila común
Swedish
Syren, Bondsyren, Vanlig syren
Turkish
Hakiki leylak, Leylak
Ukrainian
Бузок звичайний
vo
Süren
Welsh
Lelog cyffredin

Synonyms

  • Lilac caerulea (Jonst.) Lunell
  • Lilac cordato-folia Gilib.
  • Lilac suaveolens Gilib.
  • Lilac vulgaris (L.) Lam.
  • Lilac vulgaris var. alba (Weston) Jacques & Hérincq
  • Lilac vulgaris var. coerulea (Weston) Jacques & Hérincq
  • Lilac vulgaris var. purpurea (Weston) Jacques & Hérincq
  • Lilac vulgaris var. violacea (Aiton) Jacques & Hérincq
  • Liliacum album (Weston) Renault
  • Liliacum vulgare (L.) Renault
  • Syringa alba (Weston) A.Dietr. ex Dippel
  • Syringa albiflora Opiz
  • Syringa amoena K.Koch
  • Syringa bicolor K.Koch
  • Syringa caerulea Jonst.
  • Syringa carlsruhensis K.Koch
  • Syringa cordifolia Stokes
  • Syringa cordifolia var. alba Stokes
  • Syringa cordifolia var. caerulescens Stokes
  • Syringa cordifolia var. purpurascens Stokes
  • Syringa latifolia Salisb.
  • Syringa lilac Garsault
  • Syringa lilac Thouin
  • Syringa lilac var. alba (Weston) Thouin
  • Syringa lilac var. purpurea (Weston) Thouin
  • Syringa lilac var. violacea (Aiton) Thouin
  • Syringa marliensis K.Koch
  • Syringa nigricans K.Koch
  • Syringa notgeri K.Koch
  • Syringa philemon K.Koch
  • Syringa rhodopea Velen.
  • Syringa versaliensis K.Koch
  • Syringa virginalis K.Koch
  • Syringa vulgaris f. alba (Weston) Voss
  • Syringa vulgaris f. albipleniflora S.D.Zhao
  • Syringa vulgaris f. coerulea (Weston) Schelle
  • Syringa vulgaris f. plena (Oudin) Rehder
  • Syringa vulgaris f. purpurea (Weston) Schelle
  • Syringa vulgaris f. violacea (Aiton) Schelle
  • Syringa vulgaris unranked duplex Kuntze

and 27 more.

Flowers

In flower
April to June (from 1,907 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Flower colour
purple (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Shrub
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

More in Syringa

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.