Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis capsules. The bark is a red-brown color. They grow well in moist, well-drained soil. They prefer full sun but will tolerate light shade. Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis (formerly known as "Syringa pekinensis"), also known as the Pekin lilac or the Chinese tree lilac, grows in an open, multi-stemmed form to a height of , with a spread of . They are native to northern China but grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7. It is grown as an ornamental tree in Europe and North America. Pekin lilacs have arching branches and ovate dark green leaves
Chemical garden Chemical garden A chemical garden is an experiment in chemistry usually performed by adding metal salts such as copper sulfate or cobalt(II) chloride to an aqueous solution of sodium silicate (otherwise known as waterglass). This results in growth of plant-like forms in minutes to hours. The chemical garden was first observed and described by Johann Rudolf Glauber in 1646. In its original form, the chemical garden involved the introduction of ferrous chloride (FeCl) crystals into a solution of potassium silicate (KSiO). The chemical garden relies on most transition metal silicates being insoluble in water and coloured. A metal salt such