Flowering earlier than any other Syringa species, Syringa oblata Early Lilac is a shrub or small tree that grows up to 5m tall. Its ovate-orbicular to reniform leaves measure 2.5-10cm and may be glabrous or pubescent, villous, or glabrescent. Its panicles are congested or lax, with pedicels that are glabrous or pubescent. Its purple, lilac, or white corolla tube may measure 0.6-1.7cm, and its lobes spread to 4-8mm. A smooth, obovate-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate capsule measures 0.7-1.5cm. This species' leaves turn red in the autumn. It is most commonly seen in China and may be cultivated throughout Europe and the Americas, with many hybrids, such as S. X hyacinthiflora, being recognised.