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Syringa x laciniata

Image of Syringa x laciniata

Michael Charters, www.calflora.net

Family

Oleaceae

Botanical Name

Syringa x laciniata

Plant Common Name

Cutleaf Lilac, Laciniate-leaved Lilac

General Description

Combine the fragrant lavender blossoms you expect of a lilac with small lacy leaves and you have the cutleaf lilac. This small graceful shrub is in fact a hybrid of common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, and a parent of the beautiful Persian lilac, Syringa x persica. Its airy conical flower clusters appear in mid- to late-spring, a few days after those of common lilac. Unlike common lilac, however, it offers considerable ornamental interest after it blooms, forming a chest-high mound of arching stems clad in dainty deeply lobed medium-green leaves.

Grow cutleaf lilac in full to partial sun and well-drained mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soil. Plants are most floriferous and least lanky in full sun. It requires relatively chilly winters and moderate summers to grow and flower its best. Like most lilacs, it is susceptible to powdery mildew, especially in humid droughty conditions. Use this beautiful and unusual lilac in a shrub planting or mixed border or as an individual specimen. It is ideal near a path or patio, where its perfumed flowers can work their magic. Its flowers are also wonderful in bouquets.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    8 - 1

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    4 - 8

  • Sunset Zone

    3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

  • Plant Type

    Shrub

  • Sun Exposure

    Full Sun, Partial Sun

  • Height

    4'-6' / 1.2m - 1.8m

  • Width

    4'-7' / 1.2m - 2.1m

  • Bloom Time

    Spring, Late Spring

  • Native To

    Hybrid Origin

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Loam, Sand

  • Growth Rate

    Medium

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Arching/Fountain-shaped

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Summer, Fall

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    Lavender

  • Fruit Color

    Green, Brown

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Green, Yellow Green

  • Bark Color

    Sandy Brown, Gray

  • Fragrant Flowers

    Yes

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    No

  • Showy Fruit

    No

  • Edible Fruit

    No

  • Showy Foliage

    No

  • Foliage Texture

    Fine

  • Foliage Sheen

    Matte

  • Evergreen

    No

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Bark Texture

    Smooth

  • Usage

    Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    No

  • Attracts

    Hummingbirds, Butterflies

  • Self-Sowing

    No