[2] Afghanistan,[2][3][4] Pakistan, Western[2] Himalaya,[2][3][4] Kashmir (Ladakh), Nepal.

[2][3] Notable cultivars include:[2] Emodi is derived from the Sanskrit hima, meaning 'snow' (Sanskrit hima-alaya, identifies the Himalayas as the 'abode of snow').

Syringa is derived from the Greek word syrinx, meaning 'pipe' or 'tube'.

Named for the use of its hollow stems to make flutes.

In Greek mythology, the nymph Syringa was changed into a reed.