Please help identify this shrub

[max.fischer]

Recently moved into a new house and need help identifying this shrub to know when/how to prune. Plant flowers in spring with purple flowers - see last pic. My wife thinks it's a lilac and looking at flowering pics on the web of lilacs seems like she may be right. If a lilac, given it's mid July and the current year flowers have long since faded, still ok to prune and still have flowering next year?

Thanks!

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

This is Palibin Lilac (Syringa meyeri var. meyeri 'Palibin', now usually named as Syringa pubescens var. pubescens 'Palibin'). This form of Lilac is only known from cultivation, being first introduced to western horticulture in 1909 from plants grown in Beijing gardens. The leaf venation of the Palibin Lilac is almost palmate, making it quite distinct from all other pinnately veined Syringa.
It might be fine to prune back in July, but immediately after flowering would be preferred.