Hairy lilac is native to northern China, where it grows in moist to dry shrubbery on slopes, in sparse forest and on river banks at elevations 1200-2200m. It has been grown as an ornamental since the 1800s, when Dr. Emil Bretschneider sent seeds from Peking to Europe and the United States. However, it was originally discovered by the French Jesuit and botanist d’Incarville as early as 1750. Its winter hardiness may be judged from the fact that the shrubs at Mustila have been grown from seed originating in Tomsk, Siberia. The species hybridises easily with other lilacs, and its genes can be found in many varieties.