Syringa vulgaris - Common lilac - €12 per plant  

Syringa vulgaris is a popular garden shrub due to it's prolific display of beautifully scented flowers that emerge in mid spring. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Moths & Butterflies and noted for attracting wildlife. The flowers are also edible and can be eaten raw or folded into batter and fried to make fritters. This easy to grow plant succeeds in most soils including chalk, but dislikes acid soils. The plant suckers freely making it a great biomass plant and responds well to trimming whether free standing or within a hedge. To order this plant please contact us [email protected]. 

Context

  • native region: E. Europe
  • ​native habitat: Scrub on rocky hill slopes
  • family: Oleaceae

Predators

  • no known pest of significance

Needs, tolerances 

  • Light: Full sun or dappled shade
  • soil pH:  neutral -basic alkaline 
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 - 7
  • Noted to grow well in alkaline soils

Overview

  • ​Deciduous Shrub growing to 6m by 5 m at a medium rate
  • In flower in May, and the seeds ripen from June to July. 
  • The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees and butterflies .
  • Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers moist soil. 
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. 
  • Grows best in full sun but will tolerate  semi-shade.
  • East to grow

Characteristics

  • form: medium sized shrub
  • layer : Shrub Layer
  • habit: a multi stemmed from the crown, suckering
  • height x width (m): 6 x 5

Products 

  • Flowers: Edible raw or cooked. An essential oil is obtained from the flowers, used  often in perfumery. A green dye is obtained from the flowers
  • Leaves: The bark or leaves have been chewed as a treatment for sore mouth.  Green and brown dyes can be obtained from the leaves
  • Medicinal: The leaves and the fruit are antiperiodic, febrifuge, tonic and vermifuge​
  • Ornamental - There are many named varieties, developed for their ornamental value[

Functions, behaviours

  • Attractive specimen tree 
  • Plants can be grown as an informal hedge
  • Suckers freely to form dense shrub 
  • Low maintenance and easy to grow
  • Excellent food source for butterflies and moths 
If you would like this plant please send an email to [email protected] with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project