# What kind of trees are these? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732 "2014-06-26T22:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/1 "2014-06-26T22:18:35Z")
The trees in question have triangular clusters of small white flowers that bloom around this time of year, in this area (Montreal/Eastern-Central Canada, probably in surrounding areas as well.) Their leaves are what most people picture an ordinary leaf shape to be. The flowers smell a bit like lilacs. [Here is a picture](http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j175/muzition/mysterytrees_zps8af45da7.jpg). These trees are so common that I’m sure the answer to this question is easy, but I wasn’t quite sure what to google to look for the answer, so I thought I’d ask here. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/2 "2014-06-26T22:20:12Z")
Those pictures are very unclear, I can’t see the shape of the leaf or the shape of the flower. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/3 "2014-06-26T22:37:40Z")
They are a bit blurry, my guess though is _Syringa reticulata_, Japanese tree lilacs. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/4 "2014-06-26T22:59:58Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/5 "2014-06-26T23:40:18Z")
It could be a Linden. The shape of the leaves, the generally conical shape of the older tree, and the flowers all look right. Ours is in bloom here in Michigan right now, and does smell like lilacs. Ours is a little leaf Linden, but there are other varieties as well. Do the flowers have a lighter green “leaf” (bract) associated with them? ETA: [Here’s a good picture of the leaves and flowers, and the bracts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tilia-cordata2.JPG). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/6 "2014-06-27T00:14:00Z")
I don’t think it’s a linden tree. The leaves of the trees I’ve been seeing look a bit more [like this](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Bay_leaf442.jpg), I think. (in general shape) ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/7 "2014-06-27T00:38:39Z")
The reason I am going with _Syringa reticulata_ is because although blurry, one can make out the heart shaped leaves, also a hint of the opposite leaf pattern. Although the panicles are a bit spotty, arrays not full across the tree, take a look at these images of [_Syringa reticulata_](https://www.google.com/search?q=syringa+reticulata&client=firefox-a&hs=urL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=87usU7n2KJGSyASgt4Bg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ), see what you think… ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/8 "2014-06-27T00:47:12Z")
Many of the examples on google images are of better, more fully flowering specimens. Here are some that more resemble the trees in the op. [http://www.haverford.edu/generated/news\_images/40141\_lg.jpg](http://www.haverford.edu/generated/news_images/40141_lg.jpg) [http://www.wilsonnurseries.com/Ornamentals/pictures/image909.jpg](http://www.wilsonnurseries.com/Ornamentals/pictures/image909.jpg) [http://www.bylands.com/sites/default/files/styles/max\_watermarked/public/images/plants/syringa\_reticulata\_ivory\_silk\_landscape.jpg?itok=GYT5I9lz](http://www.bylands.com/sites/default/files/styles/max_watermarked/public/images/plants/syringa_reticulata_ivory_silk_landscape.jpg?itok=GYT5I9lz) ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/9 "2014-06-27T00:51:12Z")
> [@Ostrya](#): > > They are a bit blurry, my guess though is _Syringa reticulata_, Japanese tree lilacs. > [@Ostrya](#): > > The reason I am going with _Syringa reticulata_ is because although blurry, one can make out the heart shaped leaves, also a hint of the opposite leaf pattern. Although the panicles are a bit spotty, arrays not full across the tree, take a look at these images of [_Syringa reticulata_](https://www.google.com/search?q=syringa+reticulata&client=firefox-a&hs=urL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=87usU7n2KJGSyASgt4Bg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ), see what you think… Yes! I think that’s it. Thanks! Hmm, and I guess my nose is right in thinking it was sort of like lilacs. Mystery solved, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/10 "2014-06-27T01:38:22Z")
I have a _Syringa reticulata_ that I purchased bare root from mail order catalog 10yrs ago, has already reached a height of 12ft with equal spread - only mine has purple flowers on it. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/11 "2014-06-27T01:46:48Z")
Here’s what mine looks like. [Japanese Tree Lilac](http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g381/zachmayer24/6001_l.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-trees-are-these/691732/12 "2014-06-27T13:06:09Z")
That’s a nice tree. All of the ones around here have white flowers.