Common lilac
Syringa vulgaris L.
Also called common lilac.
Old-fashioned suckering shrub with intensely fragrant spring flower trusses. Needs cold winters to bloom well.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 2.4–4.5 m (8–15 ft) tall and 1.8–3.6 m (6–12 ft) wide; medium growth, about 6 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the #3 install size.
Bloom
Lilac flowers, May (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common lilac : May |
Design notes
- Prune right after flowering; remove a few old stems each year to renew.
- Powdery mildew is cosmetic by late summer; site in sun with air movement.
- Blooms poorly in the Deep South and low desert.
Regions
Native range: Balkan Peninsula.
Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Common lilac
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.