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Common Lilac

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Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) – 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.

Characteristics

Average Landscape Height:
12 feet
Average Landscape Width:
9 feet
Growth Rate:
medium
Genus:
Syringa
Species:
vulgaris
Flower Color:
lilac
Flower Period:
in mid spring
Summer Foliage Color:
sea green
Minimum Light:
full sun
Maximum Light:
full sun
Minimum Moisture:
dry
Maximum Moisture:
moist
Plant Form:
upright spreading
Canopy:
leggy
Pruning:
prune after flowering
Pollution Tolerance:
high
Other Species Names:
Common Lilac
Branching:
multi-stemmed
Flower Fragrance:
high

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.

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.

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