When I was a small fry , my dad built my baby and me a zipline running from a spruce Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to a playhouse in our garden .

I loved the zipline , but my best-loved part was the little platform richly in the spruce tree . I ’d go up there to read books and eat bite .

Just below the tree stood a fragrant lilac bush that became the steady backdrop of every bound Clarence Day I spend up on the platform .

A close up horizontal image of different colored lilac flowers in a wicker basket set on a wooden table and pictured on a soft focus background.

Photo by Laura Melchor.

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now , I pass a band of sentence gazing at the lilac bush I ’ve planted in view of my kitchen windowpane and woolgather up places to implant more .

When I peruse nurseries each spring , there are always several different type , and it can be hard to prefer between them .

A close up vertical image of a large lilac shrub with pink and purple flowers growing beside a white picket fence. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Photo by Laura Melchor.

Which are the most fragrant ? Which will flourish in my farm geographical zone ? I suspect you have these questions , too .

So for all you lilac fan out there , in this article , I ’ll bring in you to my 23 favored varieties .

23 of the Best Lilacs for Your Garden

In purchase order to flower , a lilac involve over 2,000 shiver hours below 45 ° Fduring the winter , which realize it the ultimate cold - weather bush .

Due to its passion for chilly temperatures , I would never recall to associate it with anolive tree .

However , deciduous , perennial lilacs are part of the olive family , Oleaceae . Most lilacs flourish in Zones 3 - 7 , but some are hardy to Zone 2 . Other cultivar , breed specifically for lovesome weather , grow well in Zones 8 and 9 – some even in parts of Zone 10 .

A close up vertical image of a large lilac shrub with pink and purple flowers growing beside a white picket fence. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

There are twelve species in the genusSyringa , and if you ’re just getting started , you could learn all about how to educate them in your garden in ourguide to growing lilacs .

Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus first name the genus in 1753 . The word “ syringa ” come from the ancient Greek word “ syrinx , ” which means pipe or tube-shaped structure . It mention to the mythological nymph , Syrinx , who changed into vacuous reed to escape the lustful advances of the god Pan .

Thus , Syrinx gave us words for empty things , like syringes – and the branch of lilac shrubs , which are hollow yet strong .

A close up vertical image of bright purple Syringa vulgaris growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

Lilacs are know for their panicles of violet , pinkish , or white flowers , and their recondite unripe foliage , which is heart - shaped on some cultivars . In the United States , the most commonly grown mintage isS. vulgaris , the plebeian lilac .

Many of the lilac described below are cultivars ofS. vulgarisand are holler “ Gallic hybrids ” or “ Gallic lilac . ” They areintraspecificcrosses , which mean they are not crossed with a different species .

Many of these originate in France , thanks to the efforts of Victor Lemoine and his married woman Marie in the 1870s . Their Logos and grandson continued to spawn lilac , and between them the familyintroduced over 200 cultivarsbetween 1876 and 1953 .

A close up horizontal image of a light purple flower growing against a red wooden house.

The name “ Gallic hybrid ” has stuck even though many were , and still are , also cultivated in the United States and other European countries .

French hybrids may be individual blossom with four petals on each efflorescence , but some cultivars are double - bloom for an spare - full , lush spirit with as many as 12 petals on a single blossom .

Most French hybrids produce to between four and 20 feet tall at maturity . Some have a compact , good growth habit , while others tend to propagate .

A close up square image of bright purple flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Agincourt Beauty’ pictured on a soft focus background.

Some may be described as reblooming , which means they flower in the spring followed by a further flush of semblance in later summer .

Victor Lemoine also hybridizedS. vulgariswith the Taiwanese lilac , S. oblata , to develop what are often called Hyacinflora lilacs , S. xhyacinthiflora . These early - blooming varieties have flowers that resemble tiny hyacinths .

Another notable plant stock breeder from Canada , Isabella Preston , give rise 82 different hybrid lilacs between 1912 and 1946 . These are normally referred to as Preston lilacs , orS. xprestoniae .

A close up square image of the white flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Beauty of Moscow’ growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

Other common specie let in :

All are beautiful in their own right hand , and most give off one of the most alluring flavour in the populace .

1. Agincourt Beauty

Do you need blooms with huge floret to cut and and place in a vase , filling your dwelling house with the sweet smell of springtime ?

Then ‘ Agincourt looker ’ ( S. vulgaris ) , which blooms from late April to early May , is the lilac for you .

With the biggest individual florets of all lilac mintage and cultivars , ‘ Agincourt Beauty ’ is a vivacious violet dish .

A close up square image of the bright pink flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Be Right Back’ growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

‘ Agincourt knockout ’

This cultivar thrives in Zones 3 - 7 and make a blazing top of 10 to 12 feet improbable with a spread head of eight to 10 feet . I emphatically need to get my hands on an ‘ Agincourt Beauty ’ plant for my backyard .

you may line up bare roots or a live plant life in a three - inch containeravailable at Nature Hills Nursery .

A close up square image of the pink flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Bloomerang’ growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine on a soft focus background.

2. Beauty of Moscow

For a sweet surprisal , plant ‘ dish of Moscow ’ ( S. vulgaris ) , aka ‘ Krasavitsa Moskvy ’ – which literally interpret from Russian to “ beauty of Moscow ” – in your yard or garden .

This shrub forms soft - pink buds that blossom into white , treble - bloom blossoms . Delicately beautiful , the flowers are also highly fragrant .

Cut one or two clump from the industrial plant , put them in a vase , and relish the honeyed flavour of springtime throughout your entire house .

A close up square image of the purple flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Charles Joly’ pictured on a soft focus background.

‘ Beauty of Moscow ’

‘ Beauty of Moscow ’ flush in May . It ’s hardy to Zones 3 - 7 , reaches a ripe height of 10 - 12 feet , with a spread of up to eight feet .

you could find stark etymon to plantavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .

A close up square image of purple flowers of Syringa vulgaris growing in the garden pictured in bright sunshine with blue sky and foliage in soft focus in the background.

3. Be Right Back

With dark pink buds that give way to big , fragrant , pinkish flowers , ‘ Be ripe Back ’ ( S. hybrida ‘ GARlisabzar ’ ) is a reblooming lilac that flowers in early summertime and just when you think your time of year of color is over , blossom again in early crepuscule .

‘ Be correct Back ’

‘ Be Right Back ’ grows to a fledged height of four feet , with a similar breadth . It ’s hardy in Zones 4 - 8 .

A close up square image of the white flowers of Syringa vulgaris pictured in bright sunshine on a soft focus background.

you could receive four - inch potted industrial plant fromSpring Hills Nursery via the Home Depot .

4. Bloomerang

Bloomerang ® is a hybrid series of compact , reblooming lilacs with a rounded ontogenesis substance abuse .

Bloomerang ® , S.hybrida‘Penda , ’ produces light pink , fragrant bloom in tardy spring , then from July puts on a outstanding show of promising regal blossoms that last until first frost .

Bloomerang ®

A close up square image of a dwarf Korean lilic with bright pink flowers growing beside a brick house, pictured in bright sunshine.

Bloomerang ® does best in zone 3 - 7 , and arrive at a mature height and width of three to six feet .

rule flora in three - inch containersavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .

5. Charles Joly

Do you require some magenta in your life history right about now ? Then let ‘ Charles Joly ’ ( S. vulgaris ) turn in just that .

This perfumed - sense shrub grows up to 12 feet improbable with a spread head of 10 feet , and boom in Zones 3 - 7 . But its striking double - flowered blooms are its most treasured trait .

‘ Charles Joly ’

A square image of a large Syringa vulgaris ‘Ivory Silk’ growing in a garden border with blue sky and a house in the background.

Blooming begin from mid- to late spring and endure three to four hebdomad . ‘ Charles Joly ’ receive the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993 .

you could determine plants in two - column inch containersavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .

6. Common Purple

S. vulgaris , the common lilac , is the species plant from which dozens of cultivar have been developed .

It was bring to the United States from Europe in the 1700s . Blooming in late May , it ’s adaptable to many case of grunge . Its lavender - colored flowers give off that classic , sweet fragrance .

S. vulgaris

A close up square image of the flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘James Macfarlane’ growing in the garden.

I ’m pretty sure we had a common lilac under the zipline tree in my childhood yard in Montana . I ’ll be planting one of these shrubs , which are fearless to geographical zone 3 - 7 and grow to a summit and width of eight to 10 foot , this spring .

If you want to do the same , you’re able to discover au naturel stem plantsfrom Nature Hills Nursery .

7. Common White

If you last in Zone 2 , you ’re in fortune : the common blank variety ( S. vulgarisvar.alba ) thrives in Zones 2 - 7 .

This is a race of the purple usual lilac , described above .

S. vulgarisvar.alba

A close up square image of a large Japanese lilac shrub growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine.

With Baron Snow of Leicester - white blooms and a weighty , heady fragrance , this shrub blossom in mid - spring to early summertime and offers everything lovely about lilac to those who prefer white to purple .

The common clean lilac grows eight to 10 feet marvelous and wide .

Find bare base plantsonline at Nature Hills Nursery .

A close up square image of the dark purple flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Ludwig Spaeth’ pictured on a soft focus background.

8. Dwarf Korean

Dwarf Korean ( S. meyeri‘Palibin ’ ) is a popular six - foot shrub with an eight - foot bed covering , and I see it all the time in nurseries up here in Alaska .

It ’s ideal for little gardens or container growing , thanks so its rounded , shaggy growth habit and mature pinnacle and width of four to five understructure .

A recipient role of the Award of Garden Merit in 1993 , this cultivar also won a atomic number 79 medal from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 2000 .

A close up square image of Syringa vulgaris ‘Miss Canada’ with pink flowers pictured on a soft focus background.

Dwarf Korean

The purple blossom bloom profusely in the spring and give off a sweet bouquet . They conclude out the summer with one light rebloom to leave you with a sweet memory until it blossom again next spring .

Find nude root flora , three - inch , or five - inch containersfrom Nature Hills Nursery .

A close up square image of Syringa vulgaris ‘Miss Kim’ growing in the garden next to a concrete pathway.

9. Ivory Silk

‘ Ivory Silk ’ is a Nipponese tree lilac ( S. reticulata ) cultivar that produces vast , cream - emblazon panicle and delivers that classic lilac scent .

You ’ll need a flock of room in your garden if you desire to grow this one , as it tops out between 15 - 25 invertebrate foot tall with a spread of 10 - 15 foot .

‘ Ivory Silk ’

A close up square image of Syringa vulgaris ‘Rosie Beach Party’ growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

The dark ruby barque make an attractive statement in your thousand even once the leaf drop off in the gloaming .

‘ Ivory Silk ’ is hardy to Zones 3 - 7 , efflorescence in June , and provides the perfect shade for a seraphic - scented picnic .

Find bare root plants , as well as five - in containers , usable at Nature Hills Nursery .

A close up square image of the flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Royalty’ growing in the garden with foliage in soft focus in the background.

10. James Macfarlane

‘ James Macfarlane ’ ( S. xprestoniae ) is a Preston lilac that produce dark - pink bud that open up into light - pink flower .

He grows up to eight feet marvelous with a bedcover of up to 10 feet , making him a perfect selection for a privacy hedge .

‘ James Macfarlane ’

A close up square image of Persian lilac with bright pink flowers pictured in light sunshine with foliage in soft focus in the background.

Plus , he ’s extra - hardy , thriving in Zones 2 - 7 . angelic - smell ‘ James Macfarlane ’ blooming in May and June .

you may get hold bare root word plantsavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .

11. Japanese Tree Lilac

The speciesS. reticulataaka Japanese tree lilac , is a multi - fork-like tree that produces minuscule ointment - colour in bloom and deep greenish leaves that clothe elegantly over your grassy M .

I call it the “ reading lilac , ” because the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree creates a cozy nook for Holy Scripture - lover like me to spread a field day cover and curl up with a novel .

Despite their modest size , the early summer - blooming bloom pack tidy sum of scent .

A close up square image of Syringa vulgaris ‘Double Blue’ growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine on a soft focus background.

S. reticulata

S. reticulatagrows up to a stunning 20 - 25 feet improbable with a feast of 15 - 25 foot , and does best in Zones 3 - 7 .

Find bare root plantsavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .

A close up square image of Syringa vulgaris ‘Scent and Sensibility’ growing by the side of a river with bright pink flowers, and a dog in the foreground.

translate more about growing this variety here .

12. Ludwig Spaeth

The deep purple - crimson color of ‘ Ludwig Spaeth ’ ( S.xvulgaris ) is enough to make even the hardest heart swoon .

The flush of this Gallic hybrid are also highly fragrant . It blossom slightly later in the give or former summertime than other kind , making it easy for you to stretch your yard ’s lilac show .

‘ Ludwig Spaeth ’

A close up square image of the purple and white bicolored flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’ pictured in bright sunshine on a soft focus background.

reach up to 10 feet grandiloquent and spread up to eight foot wide , ‘ Ludwig Spaeth ’ create a wonderful privacy hedge and does near in zone 3 - 7 .

you could find mere ascendent plantsonline via Nature Hills Nursery .

13. Miss Canada

For a pink - flower Preston cultivar that also provide pretty foliage in the twilight , try ‘ Miss Canada ’ ( S.xprestoniae ) .

This mid - sized shrub develop to between six and nine foot grandiloquent and five and eight feet broad . Its clump of flowers bloom in other summertime for two to three weeks .

‘ Miss Canada ’

A close up square image of a Syringa vulgaris ‘Sunday’ bush with purple flowers growing over a white picket fence pictured in light filtered sunshine.

The cheerful pink peak smell delightful , and the shrub thrives in Zones 3 - 7 . In the fall , the leaves wrench a rich white-livered color .

14. Miss Kim

‘ Miss Kim ’ is a cultivar ofS. pubescensvar.patula , a dwarf Korean lilac originally introduced by University of New Hampshire in 1954 .

It ’s idealistic for those in slightly warmer grow zone , as she boom in Zones 4 - 9 . This tidy shrub reaches a height and width of four to five feet and produces declamatory , perfumed - smelling blooms in a light - violet colouring material .

‘ Miss Kim ’

A close up square image of the flowers of Syringa vulgaris ‘Tiny Dancer’ growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

A prolific bloomer , ‘ Miss Kim ’ produces peak in the spring , but her dark - immature foliage stay attractive during the summer before it gives way to a sensational red Bordeaux in the fall .

you may find bare rootage plant , three - inch container , or five - in containersfrom Nature Hills Nursery .

15. Rosie

As peppy as her name suggests , ‘ Rosie ’ ( S. vulgaris ) , wows you with her vivid - pink flowers – and her heat tolerance .

She ’s part of the Beach Party ™ serial of “ low shiver ” lilac cultivar grow by John Schoustra , a flora breeder in California .

‘ Rosie ’

A close up square image of Syringa vulgaris ‘Yankee Doodle’ with purple flowers growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine.

Which is good news for those of you in warmer growing geographical zone : with fewer chilling 60 minutes required than is distinctive in a lilac , she expand in Zones 4 - 10 .

‘ Rosie ’ grows up to 12 foundation marvelous and spreads six to eight substructure , and smells delightful .

you could grease one’s palms ‘ Rosie ’ in four - inch pots fromSpring Hill Nurseries via the Home Depot .

16. Royalty

Do you desire a scant , lilac - colored cultivar that ’s extremely aromatic and blooms later in the saltation and early summertime than other varieties ?

Then adjudicate ‘ Royalty ’ ( S. xjosiflexa ) , bred in Canada by renowned horticulturist Isabella Preston in the 1920s .

‘ Royalty ’

While its blossom are a lighter color , this Preston lilac ’s bud are non-white , giving the panicles a layered flavor .

Hardy to Zones 3 - 8 and require slightly fewer chill hours than other miscellanea , ‘ Royalty ’ grow up to 10 foot tall and spreads up to eight feet .

Find bare roots , as well as resilient plants in three- and five - inch container , at Nature Hills Nursery .

17. Saugeana

‘ Saugeana ’ aka ‘ Iranian ’ lilac is a hybrid crossbreeding betweenS. vulgarisandS. persica , sometimes heel asSxchinensis .

It was first discovered in Rouen , France , in 1777 and is sometimes refer to as the “ Rouen lilac . ”

‘ Saugeana ’

‘ Saugeana ’ bring forth pale regal flowers from mid - May with a sweet fragrance . The shrub grows four to eight feet magniloquent and spreads all the way up to 10 feet broad .

This variety adapts well to almost any soil and is hardy in Zones 3 - 7 .

18. Scentara Double Blue

For an alluring double - flowered flower that ’s the most gorgeous dismal - reddish blue color you ’ve ever take in , plant ‘ Scentara Double Blue ’ ( S. xhyacinthiflora ) .

This cultivar flower in mid - spring and fills your yard with that pleasing , classic lilac odour .

‘ Scentara Double Blue ’

The bush grows six to eight base tall with a similar spread and expand in Zones 2 - 8 . I stargaze of a vase filled with these puritanic - majestic flowers on every windowsill in my house .

you could regulate flora in one - quart containers fromProven achiever at the Home Depot .

19. Scent and Sensibility Pink

I ’m lucky enough to have a ‘ aroma and Sensibility Pink ’ ( S.x ‘ SMSXPM ’ ) mightily outside my kitchen window . Each spring , it blooms in light - pink bouquets of fragrant peach .

The prime stop come in midsummer , but just as you come out to really lack them , August brings another bloom of blossoms .

‘ Scent and Sensibility Pink ’

‘ Scent and Sensibility Pink ’ is a compact variety and only grows to about three foot high-pitched , but it can spread up to six foot , giving your garden or border a pleasant , sprawling look .

This cultivar grows best in Zones 3 - 7 .

you could find plantsavailable at Burpee .

20. Sensation

If you adore both empurpled and white lilacs , why not try ‘ Sensation ’ ( S. vulgaris ) ? This alone cultivar boasts purple flowers edged in snowy for an elegant , superimposed look .

So beautiful is this cultivar that it was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 2012 . Plus , it consecrate you with its beauty for a full month in mid - spring .

‘ Sensation ’

Lightly fragrant ‘ Sensation ’ is hardy to Zones 3 - 7 , grows up to 10 feet , and spreads up to 12 foot .

you may find unembellished root word plantsonline at Nature Hills Nursery .

21. Sunday

For bright purple clusters of sweet - sweet-scented efflorescence decorating your yard , plant ‘ Sunday , ’ ( S.xchinensis ) . ‘ Sunday ’ blossom abundantly , causing the branch to arch over .

‘ Sunday ’

‘ Sunday ’ bloom in early- to mid - outpouring and thrives in Zones 3 - 7 . It grows up to 10 feet tall and spreads about eight feet .

Find a four - inch can usable fromSpring Hill Nurseries via the Home Depot .

22. Tiny Dancer

If you dream of a fragrant margin that does n’t expect constant trimming to make trusted it does n’t accept your thou , try ‘ Tiny Dancer ’ ( S. vulgaris ) aka ‘ Elsdancer . ’

This nanus variety arise up to just five human foot tall and three to four feet blanket and produces four- to five - inch cluster of intoxicating lavender - gloss blooms .

‘ Tiny terpsichorean ’

‘ Tiny professional dancer ’ is n’t as cold - hardy as some other cultivar – it thrives in   Zones 4 - 8 . It ’s resistant to powdery mold , making it an idealistic cultivar for those of you who live in rainy areas .

line up mere root word plantsavailable at Burpeeduring the natural spring and summer month .

23. Yankee Doodle

For a classic American lilac , plant a ‘ Yankee Doodle ’ ( S. vulgaris ) in your pace .

This deep - purple beauty was cultivated in 1985 by Father John L. Fiala , an avid Ohio lilac breeder , and he reckon it among his favourite innovation .

‘ Yankee Doodle ’

‘ Yankee Doodle ’ grows up to 10 foot tall and spreads up to six feet . extremely redolent , ‘ Yankee Doodle ’ blooms in late spring for up to four weeks and thrives in Zones 2 - 8 .

Dreaming of Spring

There ’s so much to look forward to in the springtime when you ’ve got one ( or five ) lilac shrub or trees plant throughout your grand .

If you love these works as much as I do , try compound former bloomer with former bloomers for a near - constant boot of scent and color .

enjoin me , what ’s your favorite lilac multifariousness ? How many have you planted at your home ? partake any tips or dubiousness in the input section below !

And in the meantime , for more information ongrowing shrubsin your garden , match out these articles next :

© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Cartesian product photos via Burpee , Nature Hills Nursery , Proven Winners , and Spring Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock . With additional writing and redaction by Clare Groom .

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Laura Ojeda Melchor