Last week a sapling was planted in front of my house by my town.
I requested, and was promised an "Ivory Silk Lilac" tree.
I am not sure if I received the correct tree.
It arrived without and tags or other information, and the gentleman who delivered the sapling was not very forthcoming.
I would be grateful if one of the members could advise me from the attached pictures if this tree is a "Ivory Silk Lilac."
Thank you very much!

That look a beautifully shaped healthy tree.
However with just bare branches I don't believe it is possible to say if it is Syringa reticulata 'Ivory Silk'.
Once it develops leaves then an accurate id may be possible.

I'm not sure how its going to survive in such a narrow piece of ground. I hope its not a big growing tree.

By the bark and bud placement especially, it does look like a Japanese Tree lilac. Ivory Silk is by far the most common cultivar (at least in the USA) of tree lilac, so it's unlikely it is not Ivory Silk. It's possible that it is a seedling Japanese Tree lilac (not a named variety), an equally nice tree, but less floriferous. No clue on this without any leaves.

Tree lilacs are small trees, making it a good choice for a street tree. Roots are the epidemy of an opportunist. If the roots don't "jump" the sidewalk to the yard for their betterment, they will span the narrow grass patch and spread out into the shrub area in the back of your third pic. Trees in the wild can typically have roots reaching out two or three times the height of the tree, but not necessarily in all directions. (Remember, they are opportunist, and go where the water, nutrients and good conditions are.) The lichen on the bark (looks like a fungus) is of no consequence and is a natural occurrence.

Looks like Japanese Tree Lilac - Syringa reticulata. I'll disagree about its conformation; that is NOT a well-formed tree grown by a reputable nursery professional. I suspect it is one of the dregs that nobody selected, and you got the leftover. Here are some well-formed individuals.



I request a good clear closeup of the trunk (or several pics) anywhere above the staking hoses. I'm not sold on that being lichens on the bark, and I'm hoping it is NOT a major scale infestation.

If it IS, that would also explain a lot of things...

Oh, my! Those lilacs do look quite different.

I'm hoping it is NOT a major scale infestation.

Agree. Lichens are so common on tree lilacs up here that I quickly assumed, and didn't think about that option.