Plant Search

Other Names:  Common Lilac

Description:

An old-fashioned homestead favorite, perfuming the air with fragrance in early spring from upright panicles of lilac-pink flowers; upright, bushy habit, quite leggy, suckers profusely, makes a great tall and dense hedge

Growing Place Choice Plants

Our Growing Place Choice plants are chosen because they are strong performers year after year, staying attractive with less maintenance when planted in the right place.

Learn more about this promotion!

Ornamental Features

Common Lilac features showy panicles of fragrant lilac purple flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage. The heart-shaped leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Common Lilac is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Invasive
• Insects

Common Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Common Lilac will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 9 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.