Common lilac is a shrub native to the Balkans of southeastern Europe, grown in northern U.S. gardens for its fragrant purple or white spring flowers. It needs a long, cold winter to develop flower buds and struggles in the hot, humid South.
Appearance
Growth form
A many-stemmed shrub or small tree, usually 8–16 ft (2.5–5 m) tall. It keeps sending up new shoots () from the base, so old plants slowly spread into thickets and can live for a very long time.
Flowers
Small tube-shaped flowers open into four lobes and crowd together in cone-shaped clusters about 3–7 in (8–18 cm) long. Purple is the classic color, but garden varieties also come in white, pink, blue, and more.
Flowering time
Mid- to late spring. In New Hampshire, blooms usually peak from the second to the fourth week of May.
Fruit
Each flower can turn into a small capsule that goes from green to brown and splits open. Its winged seeds drift away on the wind.
It grows into a small tree and bears creamy white flower clusters several weeks after common lilac. Common lilac usually grows as a many-stemmed shrub.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
Yards and gardens
Parks
Roadsides
Old homesteads
Forest edges
Range
Native to the Balkans of southeastern Europe. In the U.S., it is grown in gardens and has in all six New England states, where it also appears by roadsides, field edges, and old homesteads.
Preferred conditions
Grows best in 3–7. It needs a long, cold winter to set its flower buds, so it struggles in the hot, humid South.
Flowering
Flowers May
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Flowers
Flowers May
Growing it
Care
A cold winter helps flower buds develop. Prune soon after bloom if needed; late pruning can remove next spring’s flowers. may whiten the leaves in summer but usually does little lasting damage.
Connected species
Pollinators
Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds visit the fragrant flowers.
Butterflies visit the fragrant flowers for nectar in U.S. landscapes.
Name and classification
About the name
The compact ‘Miss Kim’ lilac (Syringa pubescens patula) comes from a Korean relative, not common lilac.
Varieties and forms
U.S. gardens grow many named cultivars of this species, including 'Sensation' (purple flowers edged in white) and 'Ludwig Spaeth' (dark purple). Flowers can be single or double.