Common Purple Lilac
The Common Purple Lilac has for generations been cherished by gardeners for it’s fragrant purple blossoms and its ability to create a lush green wall. Technically a multi-stemmed shrub, this Lilac grows vigorously and flowers in late spring. Their conical clusters of florets have a tube-shaped base with four spreading petal lobes. The leaves are smooth, dark green, heart shaped and bud out prior to the flowers. The Common Purple Lilac is quite hardy, deer resistant and requires very little care. They are excellent for hedges along the border of a property line or as a windbreak but can also be planted as a single specimen.
| Common Name |
Common Purple Lilac |
|---|---|
| Latin Name |
Syringa vulgaris |
| Form |
Shrub |
| Life Span |
100+ |
| Growth Rate |
Medium |
| Mature Height |
3.5m |
| Mature Spread |
2.5m |
| Flower Colour |
Purple |
| Fragrance |
Strongly Fragrant |
| Fall Colour |
Unremarkable |
| Soil Preference |
Widely adaptable but will not tolerate standing water |
| Exposure Preference |
Full sun |
| Cold Hardiness Zone |
Zone 3 |
| Special Attributes and Considerations |
Plant up wind of a window or pathway where the fragrant blooms can be enjoyed. Will spread by basal sprouting. |
| Folk Lore |
The Common Purple Lilac’s native range is in Balkans in South Eastern Europe. From there it spread to northern Europe as a favourite for gardeners. It was one of the most common plants brought to the prairies by our European settlers. In days gone by the expression, “Be ready to cut hay 40 days after the lilacs flower” was used as a simple schedule reminder. |
| Available Sizes |
150cm |
Related products
Bailey Select Sherbert Chokecherry
The Bailey Select Sherbert Chokecherry is a cultivated selection of the same chokecherry that grows wild in our region, with foliage that emerges green in spring and turns a rich purple by mid-summer. In spring, the tree produces a beautiful display of white, wonderfully fragrant panicles, followed by large crops of astringent black cherries that are mostly enjoyed by foraging birds. True to tradition, the fruit can also be used to make delicious chokecherry jam, just like in the old days.
Dropmore Linden
The Dropmore Linden is hybrid between the native American Linden and the European Little Leaf Linden. This breeding resulted in a regal tree fit to grow in the most discerning grounds. The tree grows with a strong central leader and a trunk with substantial girth. Leaves are densely growing, dark green and heart shaped. In early summer the tree will burst into colour with clusters of exceptionally fragrant yellow flowers. The tree is an excellent source of nectar for honey bees. The tree has a long history of being the most prairie hardy Linden and is to be considered a low maintenance selection.
Golden Willow
The Golden Willow is a hardy shelter belt tree that grows with a round form and slender drooping branches. The tree will grow to a large stature and tends to prefer a low canopy. As implied with it’s name, young stems are adorned with a beautiful yellow hue. The tree grows with glossy green, narrow (lanceolate) leaves. In autumn the leaves will turn golden yellow. As the tree ages the trunk’s bark will become deeply furrowed. The tree is typically found growing in a multi-trunk form, how ever we also have single trunk selections.
Laurel Leaf Willow
The Laurel Leaf Willow is an extremely hardy, large sized tree that is native to Northern Europe. It is noted for having a rounded form, dark green glossy leaves and twisted trunk bark. It produces catkins that are golden yellow in colour. The tree is normally allowed a low canopy and is perfectly content in wet sites. Laurel Leaf willows are very eager to leaf out in the spring and reuctant to drop their leaves in the fall.
Littleleaf Linden
The Littleleaf Linden is a beautiful, highly ornamental tree that adds appeal to any outdoor space, growing with a strong central leader, dense branching, and a trunk that develops substantial girth over time. As its name suggests, its leaves are smaller than those of other linden species, heart shaped and dark green, and in early summer the tree bursts into bloom with clusters of exceptionally fragrant yellow flowers. These nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and the species also produces a distinctive leaf-like structure called a bract, which evolved to protect the flowers and the small nutlets that develop and ripen in late summer.
Showy Mountain Ash
The Showy Mountain Ash features showy white spring flowers, pinnately compound leaves and striking red fall fruit. The berries often remain on the tree after the leaves fall, which provides a pleasant winter appearance. The tree is excellent at attracting birds to any yard. The leaves are dark green and transition to orange / red in the fall. Bark is typically smooth and grey, becoming scaly as the tree matures. The tree is slow growing and compact, making it a perfect addition to smaller sites. The tree can be planted as an accent or shade tree.
Silver Cloud Maple
The Silver Cloud Maple is a selection of the native species that is seedless, has superior cold hardiness and a more balanced branch structure. The tree is adorned with bright green 5 lobed maple leaves that shimmer in the wind with a silvery underside. This Maple also stands out due to it’s attractive silver bark. The tree is fast growing and drought tolerant. The Silver Cloud Maple is an excellent addition to any grounds with adequate space as a feature or shade tree.
True North American Linden
Bur Oaks are an exceptionally long lived tree that with time can reach truly massive proportions. They are an excellent selection for making a statement or as a shade tree with some authority. Bur Oaks are best suited for large open spaces. They are the most cold tolerant of all the oaks. When young, they are known to have a corky bark and branches. Their large acorns are prized by wildlife and are quickly carried off by birds and small mammals. When you plant a Bur Oak tree, you are really planting a tree for future generations.
