Syringa pubescens Seeds | Hairy Lilac
LATIN NAME: Syringa pubescens
COMMON NAME: Hairy Lilac
Plant Profile
Hairy Lilac is a deciduous shrub of the olive family, two to four metres tall, with slender, arching branches and small, oval leaves that are softly hairy beneath. In late spring it carries dense panicles of small, tubular, lilac-pink flowers, and its scent is one of the strongest and sweetest of any hardy shrub.
It comes from the woodlands of northern and central China, and it has been grown in Western gardens since the nineteenth century. The subspecies microphylla, the littleleaf lilac, is the form most often sold, and it is valued for its compact habit and its heavy crop of fragrant flowers. The leaves are small enough that the shrub has a fine texture, and they turn yellow before they fall.
Science & Biotechnology
Lilac fragrance has been studied more than that of almost any other spring shrub, and the volatile profile of Syringa pubescens is dominated by lilac alcohol and its derivatives, together with monoterpenes and benzenoids. The scent is strongest in the evening and on warm, still days, which is when the moth pollinators it originally evolved for would be flying.
The species is one of the small-leaved lilacs, a group that includes several Chinese species with finely textured foliage and a dense, twiggy habit. It is more tolerant of heat and of dry air than the common lilac, which is why it succeeds in continental climates where Syringa vulgaris struggles. The littleleaf lilac was long grown as Syringa microphylla before it was merged into this species.
Uses & Benefits
The shrub is grown for its scent and its flowers, and it is one of the best lilacs for a small garden, since it stays compact and flowers when young. The cut stems are used in floristry, and the plant is a standard component of a scented border or a shrub collection.
The flowers are edible and are used to flavour sugar and syrups, though only the petals should be used and the green parts discarded. The shrub has no significant medicinal use, and its value is ornamental and aromatic.
Growing from Seed
Sow in autumn in a pot of loamy compost and leave it outside for the winter; the seed needs cold, moist stratification, and germination follows in spring, sometimes unevenly. Sow thinly and cover lightly with compost or grit.
Plant out in full sun in any well-drained, reasonably fertile soil, and water through the first summer. Prune after flowering, removing the oldest stems and dead wood, and deadhead the spent panicles if a tidy habit is wanted. It flowers on old wood, so avoid hard pruning in winter. In a cold garden, plant it against a wall so that the early flowers escape the worst of the frost.
Our Take
A compact lilac with the sweetest scent of the genus and a tolerance of dry, hot summers. It flowers young, stays small and asks only for sun and a little patience.
Related Reading
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