Lilac Trees | Syringa

Syringa or Lilac trees make wonderful ornamental features, with their delectably fragrant, conical shaped spring blooms. Available in an array of colours, from classic lilac to deep purple, soft pink, creamy yellow and pure white. These small trees to large bushes are ideal for sensory gardens, small gardens or within a border.

Are Lilacs Trees Or Shrubs?

Many gardeners consider them to be bushy flowering shrubs, yet over time they can age into gnarled small trees reaching up to 6 metres high. At our nursery, we grow Lilacs as either single-stem trees or multi-stemmed bushes, giving you the flexibility to choose the perfect form for your garden design.

Choosing Lilac Trees For Your Garden

Lilacs are versatile, with options of single stem forms, bushes and dwarf varieties to choose from. Utilise dwarf or compact varieties for small gardens and patios, with large varieties working well in sensory gardens and towards the back of borders where they add height. Their fragrant spring blooms come in a range of colours to pick from and are as enticing to pollinators as they are to people!

Growing and Pruning Lilac Trees

Lilacs thrive in a sunny position with neutral to slightly alkaline soil. They benefit from occasional care to maintain vibrant blooms and healthy growth.

Since Lilacs flower on old wood, pruning at the correct time is important. Established plants need little attention, but to encourage flowers on lower branches you can cut out some of the tallest stems just after flowering (mid-summer).  Remove dead, damages or diseased stems. Young plants should be pruned to create an open framework, removing crossing stems and shortening any long, whippy growth

Overgrown or neglected Lilac trees can withstand very hard pruning to restore their shape, though there will be little to no flowering for a couple of years. In mid-winter when the plant is fully dormant, prune all stems to about one foot from ground level, but take care not to prune below the graft point. The following dormant season, thin out the weakest new shoots.

History & Interesting Facts About Syringa

The name Syringa come from the Latin for 'a tube', thought to reference the broad pith found in some species that the Ancient Greeks used to hollow out to make reed pipes or flutes. Vulgaris is the Latin for 'common'. The colour lilac gained its name from the shade of purple on many of the Syringa species, in particular, Syringa vulgaris. The term French Lilac refers to the modern double flower cultivars made famous by prolific breeder Victor Lemoine.

Lilacs have been cultivated in the UK since the 16th century and reached peak popularity in the early 20th century. They are celebrated worldwide, with festivals held throughout America. The longest running being in Rochester, New York since 1898. It is held at Highland Park and boasts the largest amount of Lilac tree varieties in one place, most having been developed there. Lilac flowers are also the state flower of New Hampshire. Lilacs are also symbolic, representing love, and in countries like Greece, Cyprus, and Lebanon, they are associated with Easter.