Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) in the Lilacs Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Shrub
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Soil pH Preferences:	Neutral (6.6 – 7.3) Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8) Moderately alkaline (7.9 – 8.4)
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 2 -45.6 °C (-50 °F) to -42.8 °C (-45°F)
Plant Height:	10-15 feet
Plant Spread:	6-12 feet
Leaves:	Deciduous
Flowers:	Showy Fragrant Blooms on old wood
Flower Color:	Lavender Pink Purple
Bloom Size:	Under 1"
Flower Time:	Spring Late spring or early summer
Underground structures:	Taproot
Suitable Locations:	Xeriscapic
Uses:	Windbreak or Hedge Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees Birds Butterflies Hummingbirds
Propagation: Other methods:	Division Stolons and runners
Pollinators:	Moths and Butterflies Bees
Containers:	Not suitable for containers

Common names

Common Lilac
Lilac
French Lilac

Botanical names

Accepted: Syringa vulgaris
Synonym: Syringa nigricans

Photo Gallery

Location: IL
Date: 2012-04-17
#Pollination Red Admiral Butterfly

Uploaded by molanic

Uploaded by RootedInDirt

Location: Cottonwood, CA
Date: 2021-04-06

Uploaded by Gretchenlasater

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2016-05-26
Flowers of my common lavender Lilac were pink in 2016… not sure

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2020-06-01
Common lilac

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Central Arizona
Date: 2008-04-05
A swallowtail butterfly on the lilacs at the trailhead., Vee-Bar-

Uploaded by arctangent

Location: Near Napa Valley (Northern California)
Date: 2020-03-13

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Location: Beautiful Tennessee, my garden
Date: 2019-04-10

Uploaded by chickhill

Location: Warren, Vermont
Date: 2023-05-31
This color 💜💜💜❤️

Uploaded by PoppyLady420

Location: Willow Valley Communities Lakes Campus, Willow Street, Pennsylvania USA
Date: 2020-05-03
By the Martin Mylin III 1787 House

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Orem, Utah
Date: 2012-04-20
At Sunriver Gardens

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: My Garden, UK
Date: 2022-04-24

Uploaded by RachaelHunter

Location: Near Napa Valley (Northern California)
Date: 2021-03-24

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2020-05-29
Buds are light green, then light yellow to blush pink. Flowers a

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Uploaded by RootedInDirt

Location: a Cape Elizabeth, Maine cemetary
Date: 2024-05-25
Quite striking appearance. Unknown whether this is a named or hi

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: Willow Street, Pennsylvania
Date: 2023-04-19

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2016-05-05

Uploaded by cliftoncat

Location: Near Napa Valley (Northern California)
Date: 2020-03-20

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Location: West Valley City, UT
Date: 2009-04-29

Uploaded by Zencat

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2020-05-31
Mature common lilac. Wonderful fragrance.

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Uploaded by bumplbea

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: Millinocket, Maine
Date: 2023-05-24

Uploaded by TheMainer

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2008-12-13
Seedheads left for the birds

Uploaded by Bonehead

Date: 2022-06-07
KODAK Digital Still Camera

Uploaded by HannahsGarden

Uploaded by HannahsGarden

Location: Near Napa Valley (Northern California)
Date: 2021-03-27

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: 812 Shober Street Winston-Salem, NC
Date: April 17, 2022
Common lilac #33 nn; LHB p. 801, 166-10-12, "From Greek for pipe.

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2010-04-04

Uploaded by zuzu

Location: Willow Valley Communities, Willow Street, Pennsylvania
Date: 2022-03-27

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Near Napa Valley (Northern California)
Date: 2020-03-11

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2017-04-20
flowers and leaves

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Denver Metro CO
Date: 5/7/15
Taken with full overcast in the early evening.

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Uploaded by AnnKNCalif

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Paul2032

Uploaded by Aamie

$Location: Denver Metro CO Date: Spring 2007 The top of my \"big\" common purple lilac about 12' tall$

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Uploaded by csandt

Uploaded by nmumpton

Location: 812 Sober Street Winston-Salem, NC
Date: April 17, 2022
Common lilac #33 nn; LHB p. 801, 166-10-12, "From Greek for pipe.

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2023-05-28
My seedling vulgaris lilac can be dazzling in the sunshine.

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Uploaded by Paul2032

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-05-11

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland, zone 7B.
Date: 2024-04-14
Beautiful pristine white lilac, very large panicles and very larg

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: My garden in Belgium
Date: 2009-06-04

Uploaded by JonnaSudenius

$Location: Denver Metro CO Date: Spring 2007 My \"small\" common purple lilac about 5' tall$

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 20 May 2022
My beautiful white seedling lilac. Classic lilac fragrance which

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2009-05-04

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2020-05-30

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: Darwell Rolling Woods, Alberta
Date: 2007-04-20

Uploaded by darwellwoods

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2024-05-24
A floret with six petals. My seedling lilac.

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Uploaded by HoodLily

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2017-04-20
full-grown regular Common Lilac

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2009-12-20
two shrubs in winter

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-05-05

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Massachusetts
Date: 2016-05-19

Uploaded by jsf67

Uploaded by purpleinopp

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 17 May 2022
Burgundy-stemmed new growth! Florets are tiny. Overall, eye cat

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 27 May 2022
A showier bloom among generic “common lilac” shrubs at the ga

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Uploaded by tropicalover

Uploaded by Michelezie

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: Long Island, NY
Date: 2013-05-12

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2009-04-05

Uploaded by zuzu

Uploaded by Natalie

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-04-15

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Southern Maine
Date: 2024-05-22
Seedling lilac

Uploaded by Paintedtrillium

Location: central Illinois
Date: 3-30-12

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: CZ Sirem My garden
Date: 2015-05-14

Uploaded by admin

Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-05-07

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Malvern, Pennsylvaina
Date: 2019-04-27
full-grown shrub in bloom

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2009-11-20
Fall and winter if not deadheaded

Uploaded by Bonehead

Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2017-04-26
full-grown shrub in bloom

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Denver Metro, CO
Date: 2012-04-02
The smaller of my two common lilacs. It's only 6' tall and about

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Location: Victoria, Australia.
Date: October
credit: Jjron

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

$Location: Denver Metro CO Date: Spring 2007 My \"big\" common purple lilac from the front.$

Uploaded by Skiekitty

$Location: Denver Metro CO Date: 2010-04-27 Just starting to leaf out. This is my \"big\" common lilac.$

Uploaded by Skiekitty

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by Natalie

Uploaded by Natalie

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2014-04-16
Early spring

Uploaded by Bonehead

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Uploaded by Michelezie

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-05-02

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by admin

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by Skiekitty (Denver Metro - Zone 5a) on Feb 28, 2013 2:28 PM concerning plant:

Never trim this plant in the fall/winter. If you do, you will not get blooms the following year. Always, if you need to trim, do so right after it blooms in late spring/early summer. This plant blooms ONLY on old-wood, never new growth.

If you're lacking in blooms, make sure that this plant gets a lot of moisture in the winter. Dry climates can prevent lilacs from blooming if they don't get a lot of moisture in the winter. The more snow/water they get in the winter, the more blooms you'll see. If we don't get snow, I always winter water my lilacs just like the trees. My neighbor has a lilac the same age/size and about 5 feet away from my lilac and you can tell that I winter water & they don't.. the blooms on their lilacs are very stingy whereas mine will be covered in blooms.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Catmint20906 (PNW WA half hour south of Olympia - Zone 8a) on Aug 1, 2014 8:48 PM concerning plant:

Syringa vulgaris is a larval host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Apr 1, 2012 3:53 PM concerning plant:

Honey bees get nectar and pollen from this plant.

Reply to this comment
Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Mar 5, 2019 7:44 PM concerning plant:

The Common Lilac is native to southeast Europe and Asia Minor. It is a very common and well-known shrub in the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, the Northeast, and the northern part of the South USA. While there are a large number of cultivars based on a range of flower colors from white to pink to magenta to various shades of purple, including blue-purple, and including single to double flowers, it is still the regular, light purple, single flowered, straight species that is sold the most from conventional nurseries, and then single white as the second most bought. This is the species that has the best, strongest fragrance and that makes a good cut flower. This upright, tall shrub can be trained to be more tree-like or more bushy depending on pruning methods. An older plant can be rejuvenated by cutting it low to the ground in early spring, though it will take a few years to re-bloom. It normally gets a lot of mildew on the foliage in late summer and early fall, and no fall color.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Newyorkrita (North Shore, Long Island, NY ) on Oct 13, 2013 7:32 PM concerning plant:

While the shrubs themselves are not overly pretty, nothing beats the scent of the spring blooms.

Reply to this comment
Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Apr 16, 2013 8:24 PM concerning plant:

New Hampshire's state flower.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
Chillybean	On April 25, 2015	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc) Killed by chopping it down before the next stinkers bloomed. Replaced with a native Serviceberry.
vanillabright	On March 11, 2016	Bloomed Buds on plant closest to house.
vanillabright	On March 2, 2016	Plant emerged Both Lilacs budding
WebTucker	On April 17, 2022	Bloomed
antsinmypants	On April 15, 2020	Obtained plant ADF

» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
What a beautiful photo by vic	Jan 26, 2012 3:57 PM	2
Oh I can just smell it!! by Dutchlady1	Apr 21, 2012 11:56 AM	4
ŠeŘÍk by bamira	Sep 19, 2014 10:08 AM	1
Pruning and other observations by jsf67	Jan 29, 2017 12:53 PM	0
Cat with red t-shirt by webesemps	Jun 28, 2017 8:58 PM	23
Update by Paintedtrillium	May 30, 2022 2:47 PM	0
Beautiful Lilac by Paintedtrillium	Jun 2, 2022 7:13 AM	2

« Add a new plant to the database

» Search the Lilacs Database: by characteristics or by cultivar name

« See the general plant entry for Lilacs (Syringa)

« The Lilacs Database Front Page

« The Plants Database Front Page

Lilacs Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

Lilacs

Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)