Lilac Seeds

Habitat

native to northern China
hardy to zone 3
Habit and Form

a deciduous shrub or tree
10′ to 12′ tall
rounded form
coarse texture
moderate growth rate

Summer Foliage

opposite leaf arrangement
simple, deciduous leaves
orbicular leaf shape
2″ to 4″ long
leaf margins entire
dark, bluish-green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

reddish-purple fall color

Flowers

pale, lilac flowers
borne in loose terminal panicles
2″ to 5″ long
blooms in May

Fruit

a small capsule
held in panicles
not ornamentally important
Bark

stems are gray-brown
not ornamentally important
Culture

easy to grow
adaptable
full sun to light shade
Landscape Use

for bloom
for fragrance
useful because of its small size
foundation plant
shrub border
groupings and mass plantings
specimen
Liabilities

not many liabilities with this species
flower buds emerge early and can get hit by a late frost
ID Features

orbicular leaves in an opposite arrangement
one of the few lilacs with good fall foliage color
rounded large shrub or tree
numerous, fragrant, pale, lilac flowers
Propagation

by cuttings, but difficult
by seed
Cultivars/Varieties

var. dilatata – This is the more common form of the straight species, featuring a shrubby habit, longer flowers, excellent fall color and wide climatic adaptibility from Maine to North Carolina.

‘Wan Hua-zi’ – Notable for its later blooming period, this selection presents its single, purple-pink blooms up to two weeks later than the species. As with var. dilatata, its tolerance of varying environmental conditions is excellent.

Syringa oblata has been crossed with S. vulgaris to produce S. x hyacinthiflora, the “Early Flowering Lilac”. Many selections have been made of this hybrid species, all of which flower before the S. vulgaris cultivars and generally form large shrubs to 12′ tall and wide. The selections are all very hardy, to USDA zone 2-3. They include:

‘Asessippi’ – This plant blooms very early in the lilac season with single, pale lavender flowers. The blooms are profuse and fragrant, borne on a large 12′ tall and wide shrub.

‘Blanche Sweet’ – The early blooms of this plant are unusually colored, with blue buds opening to single florets composed of white-blue petals with a pink cast. The flowers are fragrant and displayed on a 10′ tall and wide shrub.

‘Esther Staley’ – This large grower offers early panicles of large, single pink blooms that emerge from reddish buds.

‘Excel’ – An adaptable plant, this selection is very cold hardy, but also tolerant of warmer climes than most lilacs. The light pink-lilac flowers appear early and are abundant on this upright plant (12′ tall and 10′ wide).

‘Maiden’s Blush’ – A more dwarf selection, this plant generally only grows to 6′ tall and wide. It produces prodigious quantities of light pink flowers from an early age.

‘Mount Baker’ – This large shrub (to 12′ tall and wide) presents panicles of single white flowers very early in the season. The large size and extreme hardiness of this plant make it suitable for use as a hedge in cold areas of New England.

‘Pocahontas’ – Very common in the industry, this selection out of Canada is extremely cold hardy and offers a dependable show of profuse panicles of deep violet florets. It helps herald the lilac season, blooming much earlier than the common S. vulgaris-types.