lilac (purple)

Syringa vulgaris

• Clusters of light purple flowers
   
• Set amongst smooth, dark green, heart-shaped leaves
   
• Wonderful scent

The colour is important: White, pink, blue and dark purple are cultivated lilacs, so please do not record them.
 

Where found

Open, well-drained, unshaded places. Very popular with gardeners. Survives severe cold and thrives in a frost.
 

Record seasonal events

You can help scientists monitor the effect of climate change on purple lilac by telling us the date when you first see it flowering where you live

• Flowers from April through June   

Did you know

Lilac was introduced into European gardens at the end of the sixteenth century from Ottoman gardens, not through botanists exploring the Balkan habitats of Syringa vulgaris.