Syringa pubescens is a species of flowering plant in the lilac genus of the family Oleaceae, native to Korea and China (Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Jilin, Liaoning, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan).

[1] Growing to 6 m (20 ft) tall and broad, it is a substantial deciduous shrub with green leaves felted white beneath, and panicles of heavily scented, white-throated lilac flowers in early summer.

[2][3][4] The Latin specific epithet pubescens means "downy", referring to the texture of the leaves.

[5] Three subspecies (formerly listed as separate species) are recognized :[6] The cultivar S. pubescens subsp.

microphylla 'Superba' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.