Other Names:  Hyacinth-Flowered Lilac

Group/Class:  Early Flowering Lilac

Description:

A striking lilac featuring upright panicles of sweetly scented double lilac-purple flowers in early spring on an upright growing shrub, breathtaking in bloom; needs full sun and well-drained soil, limited suckering, good disease resistance

Ornamental Features

Swarthmore Lilac features showy panicles of fragrant double lavender flowers rising above the foliage in early spring, which emerge from distinctive purple flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage. The heart-shaped leaves turn an outstanding deep purple in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Swarthmore Lilac is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Swarthmore Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Swarthmore Lilac will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 9 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.