Other Names:  Felty Lilac, syn. Syringa wilsonii, S. yunnanensis

Description:

A large flowering shrub valued for its mildly fragrant panicles of whitish rose-pink blooms in mid spring; arching, open branches are graceful; a great accent shrub or screen; needs full sun and well-drained soil

Ornamental Features

Yunnan Lilac features showy panicles of lightly-scented lilac purple flowers with rose overtones and white streaks rising above the foliage in mid spring, which emerge from distinctive dark red flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green foliage with grayish green undersides. The fuzzy pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Yunnan 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 is a relatively low maintenance shrub, 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. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Yunnan Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts

Planting & Growing

Yunnan 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 prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. 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 species is not originally from North America.