Lilac (Syringa spp.)

Did you know that 2022 was the “Year of the Lilac,” according to the National Gardening Bureau? They are among the most carefree spring-flowering shrubs for your landscape and provide a sweet, haunting fragrance, too! Learn how to take plant, grow, and prune your lilacs.

About Lilacs
The common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, is well-loved for its toughness, reliability, and fragrance. In fact, lilacs are so tough that they can grow for 100+ years, often outliving the homes they were planted around.

This deciduous multi-stemmed shrub (or small tree) has about 10 canes and produces flowers at eye-level. The common lilac grows between 8 and 12 feet tall, depending on the variety. The fragrant flowers are good for cutting and attractive to butterflies.

While the blooms are usually lilac/purple in color (from very pale to very dark), there are also lilac varieties in white and cream and even pink and yellow. Individual flowers can be single or double.