Syringa vulgaris Syringa vulgaris Syringa vulgaris (lilac or common lilac) is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae, native to the Balkan Peninsula, where it grows on rocky hills. This species is widely cultivated as an ornamental and has been naturalized in other parts of Europe (including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy), as well as much of North America. It is not regarded as an aggressive species, found in the wild in widely scattered sites, usually in the vicinity of past or present human habitations. "Syringa vulgaris" is a large deciduous shrub or multistemmed small tree, growing
The Big Tree, Rockport base of the tree is cordoned off to dissuade climbers, but visitors are nonetheless able to stand below the crown to appreciate the tree's massive size. According to climatologists, the "Big Tree" has survived from anywhere between forty and fifty major hurricanes, including the most recent, Harvey, as well as numerous floods, droughts and wildfires. The "Big Tree" is a species of oak called "Quercus virginiana". These oak trees can be found from Texas to Florida with their range extending northward to Virginia. The common name for the Quercus virginiana is the live oak but includes the names southern live