About

This bushy small deciduous tree with mid-green, heart-shaped leaves and broad, compact trusses of perfumed, single white flowers.

About the genus

Syringa can be deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple, entire or rarely pinnate leaves and conical panicles of small, very fragrant, 4-lobed tubular flowers in late spring or early summer

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6

Plant details

Plant typeTrees
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height4-8 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height10-20 years
Suggested usesCoastal, City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden
FragranceFlower

Care notes

CultivationTolerant of a range of conditions but grows best in moist but well-drained neutral to alkaline soil in full sun
PruningPruning group 1; tolerant of hard renovation pruning
PropagationPropagate by softwood cuttings in late spring, layering in spring, grafting in winter or chip budding in summer
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to lilac leaf-mining moth, willow scale and thrips
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to lilac blight, honey fungus, phytophthora, powdery mildews and bacterial canker (Pseudomonas Syringae)