previous
  • Building a Compost Bin
    Building a Compost Bin
  • Mulch for a Healthy Garden
    Mulch for a Healthy Garden
  • Elephant's Ears
    Elephant's Ears
  • Designing with Curved Terraces
    Designing with Curved Terraces
  • Fragrant Plants for Pathways
    Fragrant Plants for Pathways
  • Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
    Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners
  • Dwarf Citrus Trees
    Dwarf Citrus Trees
  • Pretty in Pink
    Pretty in Pink
  • Make a Succulent Topiary
    Make a Succulent Topiary
  • Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
    Garden Confidential: A Plant Walks into a Bar
  • Save Money by Growing Your Own
    Save Money by Growing Your Own
  • Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
    Plant an Easy-to-Water Strawberry Jar
  • NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
    NEW Video Series: There's a Better Way
  • 6 Tips for Weed Control
    6 Tips for Weed Control
  • Lawn Alternatives
    Lawn Alternatives
  • Plants that Spark!
    Plants that Spark!
  • Containers as Focal Points
    Containers as Focal Points
  • Comfortable Alfresco Dining
    Comfortable Alfresco Dining
  • Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
    Slideshow: Beautiful Clematis
  • Thoughts From a Foreign Field
    Thoughts From a Foreign Field
  • In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
    In Pursuit of the Perfect Potting Shed
  • Homegrown / Homemade
    Homegrown / Homemade
  • Stylish Shady Containers
    Stylish Shady Containers
  • Colorful Selections for Shade
    Colorful Selections for Shade
  • Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
    Indeterminate or Determinate Tomatoes?
next
Find a plant:

OR Browse All Plants


Syringa vulgaris 'Henri Robert' (Common lilac, French lilac)

Syringa vulgaris 'Henri Robert' Photo/Illustration: Andre Baranowski


Be the first to rate this plant

Plant Showcase - from our advertisers


Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Botanical Name: Syringa vulgaris 'Henri Robert' sih-RIN-gah vul-GAR-is Common Name: Common lilac, French lilac Genus: Syringa
This cultivar has double bluish-purple flowers that open from violet buds in midseason. It forms a shrub 12 feet high by 8 feet wide.
 Noteworthy characteristics: Lilac flowers are beloved for bouquets, and when in bloom, hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to them. Lilacs are generally a forgiving bunch, tolerant of roadside sites and neglect. 
 Care: Grow in reasonably fertile, well-drained soil in full sun; prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Promptly deadhead spent blossoms to produce more robust blooms for the following year. Prune lightly or renovate in late winter or early spring to maintain a healthy framework, remembering that most species form flowers the previous season. Plant in areas with good air circulation to thwart disease. Because lilacs are fire retardant, they can be considered for planting near homes that are susceptible to wildfires. Most lilacs require a period of chilling dormancy.
 Propagation: Sow seed in a cold frame when fresh or in the spring. Take softwood cuttings or layer in early summer. Graft in winter; bud in summer.
 Problems: Powdery mildew, dieback, leafroll virus, mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO), root knot nematode, Verticillium wilt, witches' broom, bacterial leaf spot, anthracnose, borers, scale, caterpillars.
Height 10 ft. to 15 ft.
Spread 6 ft. to 10 ft.
Growth Habit Spreads
Growth Pace Moderate Grower
Light Full Sun to Part Shade
Moisture Medium Moisture
Maintenance Low
Characteristics Attracts Butterflies; Attracts Hummingbirds; Fragrant Flowers; Showy Flowers
Bloom Time Spring
Flower Color Purple/ Lavender Flower
Uses Beds and Borders, Cut Flower, Flowering Tree, Hedge, Naturalizing, Roadside, Screening
Style Cottage Garden
Seasonal Interest Spring Interest
Type Shrubs

Plants you might also like

Syringa vulgaris 'Primrose' Syringa vulgaris 'Primrose'
(Common lilac, French lilac) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This unique cultivar bears slightly fragrant, creamy yellowish blossoms in midseason. It forms a shrub 12 feet high by 8 feet wide.
Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation' Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation'
(Common lilac, French lilac) (1 user review)
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

In midseason this unique cultivar bears slightly fragrant, single purple blossoms with distinct white margins. It forms a shrub 12 feet high by 8 feet wide.
Syringa × chinensis 'Lilac Sunday' Syringa × chinensis 'Lilac Sunday'
(Chinese lilac, Rouen lilac) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This fragrant hybrid (S. persica × S. vulgaris) produces slightly nodding light-purple flower clusters to 6 inches long in midseason. It forms a spreading shrub, 12 feet tall and wide, and shows good disease resistance.
no image available Syringa × chinensis
(Chinese lilac, Rouen lilac) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This fragrant hybrid (S. persica × S. vulgaris) has slightly nodding, 6-inch-long clusters of lilac-purple flowers. It forms a spreading shrub, 15 feet tall and wide.
Syringa × prestoniae 'Miss Canada' Syringa × prestoniae 'Miss Canada'
(Preston lilac) Be the first to rate this plant
Hardiness Zones: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

This hardy, late-flowering hybrid bears perfumed rose-pink buds opening to pink flowers. It forms a shrub 10 feet high by 8 feet wide.