Lilacs are a beautiful addition to any garden. Their purple hues soothe the admirer and augment the surrounding shrubs. Not only are these plants gorgeous, but they also smell delicious. Walking past a lilac tree and inhaling its fragrances ignites the promises of spring, and makes a sunny day a little bit brighter.
If you are searching for a perfect new purple addition to your at-home jungle, you will likely be faced with a lot of options. The colors of lilac plants range from soft pinks to deep purples, and their flowering time varies.
Most lilac plants are relatively easy to grow and maintain, but they do require slightly different conditions. If you don’t know much about lilac plants, it can be difficult to choose your favorite.
Luckily for you, we have cultivated a list of some of the most wonderful lilac plants, so that you can find out more about them and get closer to finding your perfect purple match. Before picking a shrub for your garden, take a look below at some of the types of lilac plants available.
Syringa Vulgaris, Or Sensation
As the not-so-humble name suggests, this plant is pretty epic. The flowers all have two beautiful shades of lilac: the middle of each petal is a cool dark purple, while the borders of each petal are covered in a light and creamy purple. The contrast of these colors makes the flowers of this plant eye-catching and unique.
Alongside their stunning looks, the flowers of the Syringa Vulgaris also produce a wonderful scent. This plant is most commonly found in Asia and Europe and requires full sun exposure in order to thrive. Expect this plant to reach a grand height of between eight and ten feet.
Katherine Havemayer
The second lilac plant on our list is also a type of Syringa Vulgaris that is commonly found in East Asia and Europe. The flowers on this plant are wide open and range in tones, from a very light and creamy purple to a soft magenta.
The clusters of flowers are lovely to look at and smell equally as nice. Delicate heart-shaped green leaves complement the sweet flowers and create a lovely contrast with the purple tones. The best thing about this plant si that its blooming period is unusually long, meaning that you can enjoy its flowers and fragrances for much of the year.
In order to grow healthily, this lilac plant needs lots of sunlight and space, as it can reach up to ten feet in height.
Madame Florent Stepman
The third Syringa Vulgaris on our list is a lilac plant which if you were to walk past would not necessarily look like a lilac plant. That is because this plant type of a white blooming variety.
Madame Florent Stepman shares the flower shape and beauty of the other lilac plants but replaces the purple hues with a timeless white flower. The simply colored flowers help this plant to look good in pretty much any setting because white goes with everything!
Just like the first two lilac plants on the list, this type is native to Europe and Asia and requires a lot of sunlight. However, the height of this plant trumps the previous plants’, as it can reach a whopping fifteen feet!
Miss Kim (Syringa Pubescens Subsp. Patula)
This beautiful plant is part of the S. Pubescens lilac family, also known as the Manchurian lilac species. Its flowers grow in the shape of fluted trumpets, which open up to reveal calming blue and lavender colors.
This plant is native to China and Korea, which might explain why it can grow in an array of climates, as it is extremely tolerant to heat and cold. It does still require full sun exposure in order to grow healthily, though. Miss Kim is a petite lilac plant, which grows to a maximum height of between four and nine feet.
Tinkerbelle
Our next lilac plant is a product of two different lilacs, the Syringa and the Bailbelle. The flowers that bloom on this plant are not full of the signature purple colors but are instead a bright, deep pink color.
So, if you are looking for a pretty pink addition to your garden, look no further. Because it is a hybrid, this plant has no native country. However, its parent species are originally from Korea and China. If you are not up for a lot of hard work, this plant may suit you well, as it doesn’t require much maintenance and is pretty resilient.
As with most lilac plants, it does need a lot of sunlight. Much like the Miss Kim strain, this lilac plant reaches a small height, usually between four and six feet.
Andenken An Louis Spaeth
Sixth on our list of lilac plants is another member of the Syringa Vulgaris family. The flowers erupt in May and are painted a powerful reddish-purple that stands out among the crowds of shrubs. Our favorite thing about this plant is that it is known for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies when it is flowering!
This plant grows best in a place with lots of suns but does not get on well with heat or humidity. Ideally, this plant needs to be somewhere cool but bright. The maximum height of this plant ranges from nine feet to twelve feet.
Wedgewood Blue
This sweet plant is perfect for small gardens, because it doesn’t take up much space but is still astoundingly pretty. The flowers that blossom in April and May are a stunning light blue and pale purple, which soothes the eyes of its admirers and calms the atmosphere of the surrounding area.
Because it is another Syringa Vulgaris, it is native to Europe and East Asia and needs full sun exposure in order to survive. This little beauty only reaches a height of between four and six feet. It’s so cute!
Maiden’s Blush
This plant is a nursery hybrid that has only been developed in the past sixty years. Its flowers begin to blossom about a week before other lilacs, at which point its pink buds open up to reveal really pale purple petals. The best time to prune this plant is once it has finished blooming. Plant it in a spot that will give it plenty of access to sunlight, and watch it grow up to twelve feet tall.
Declaration
This plant is a hybrid of the Syringa plant and the Hyacinthiflora. Like the Maiden’s Blush type, this lilac plant’s flowers bloom about a week before most other lilac plants. Its flowers, though, are a deep purple color, with slight red tints.
Again, this plant needs full sun exposure in order to grow well, so make sure it is planted in a spot that has lots of sunlight hitting it. When fully grown, this plant measures between six and eight feet tall.
Palibin
The next plant on our list is a Syringa Meyeri lilac plant. It does not have a native country because it doesn’t grow in the wild, but it was first discovered in a garden in Beijing. The leaves and flowers on this lilac plant grow densely and strongly, which makes it a pretty good candidate for your next hedge.
The flowers are trumpet-like and grow from magenta-colored buds to a light and bright purple. If it is grown in full sunlight, it grows to a petite size of four or five feet tall.
Superba
This lilac plant is a member of the Syringa Pubescens Subsp. Microphylla family. Its most notable feature is its width; it grows outwards much more than it grows upwards! This plant can grow up to fourteen feet wide while reaching a maximum height of seven feet.
The flowers on this plant are simply beautiful. Their rounded buds are a rosy-pink color, and when they bloom its petals are an even lighter and more delicate shade of pink. The best thing about the Superba is that it blooms three times a year, so you have much more time to admire its beautiful flowers. Keep it in direct sunlight to make sure it is in good condition.
Chinese Lilac
The Chinese Lilac plant is a hybrid of the Syringa and Chinensis plant families, more specifically the S. Vulgaris and S. Persica. This plant grows as wide as it does tall, reaching a maximum height and width of fifteen feet. The flowers on the Chinese Lilac grow in clusters of light purple with undertones of pink, which bloom in spring.
When growing in lots of sunlight, this shrub flourishes, and can even attract hummingbirds. It does not require much maintenance or care, but if it is pruned slightly in winter it is more likely to bloom healthily the next year.
Himalayan Lilac
Also known as Syringa Emodie, this plant is made up of thick leaves and beautiful flowers. Originally found in the Himalayas, this plant grows up to fifteen feet tall when in a decent amount of sunlight.
The flowers on the Himalayan Lilac bloom in summer, and are full of purple tones and shades. They smell great, don’t require much maintenance, and are really resilient. What’s not to love?
Plants have always been a big interest of mine, and I’ve always wanted to learn more about the different types of species. I have gained a vast knowledge of the subject over the years, and I have decided to share this information with others.
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