Common Lilac

(Syringa vulgaris)

General Description

A medium to large hardy shrub with stout, spreading

branches developing a somewhat oval to irregularly

rounded crown. Spreads by suckering. Showy, fragrant

flowers.

Leaves and Buds

Bud Arrangement - Opposite.

Bud Color - Green to brownish-purple with 3 pairs of

scales.

Bud Size - Sessile, subglobose, large, 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Leaf Type and Shape - Simple, cordate.

Leaf Margins - Entire, smooth.

Leaf Surface - Smooth, leathery.

Leaf Length - 2 to 5 inches.

Leaf Width - 1½ to 3½ inches.

Leaf Color - Dark green.

Flowers and Fruits

Flower Type - Perfect, fragrant, borne in large terminal

panicles, singles and doubles.

Flower Color - White to purple, a variety of colors.

Fruit Type - Woody capsule. Flat tannish seeds.

Fruit Color - Smooth, brown.

Form

Growth Habit - Upright leggy shrub with irregular

outline.

Texture - Medium-coarse, summer; medium-coarse,

winter.

Crown Height - 8 to 12 feet.

Crown Width - 6 to 12 feet.

Bark Color - Young bark is green-brown, older bark

is gray-brown.

Root System - Shallow, dense.

Environmental Requirements

Water

Drought tolerant, does not withstand ponding.

Light

Full sun.

Uses

Conservation/Windbreaks

Medium to tall shrub for farmstead windbreaks and

highway beautification. Occasionally used in field

windbreaks.

Wildlife

Little value for fruit or browse. May be of value for nesting

by songbirds.

Agroforestry Products

Floral design - Fragrant cutflowers.

Urban/Recreational

Good for shelter, shrub borders, massing in parks, and

screen plantings.

Pests

Common diseases include powdery mildew. Common

lilac is a host of ash yellows, but the impact is not known.

Common insect pests include lilac borer. Extracts from

Syringa species are toxic to insect pests.

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