Syringa vulgaris 'Mrs Edward Harding' (d)
lilac 'Mrs Edward Harding'
A bushy medium-sized deciduous shrub with dark green, heart-shaped leaves and dense panicles of fragrant, deep purplish-red, double flowers soon fading to deep pink
Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
10–20 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Purple | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or North–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy
- Genus
Syringa can be deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple, entire or rarely pinnate leaves and conical panicles of small, very fragrant, 4-lobed tubular flowers in late spring or early summer
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Easy to grow in most well-drained, fertile, humus-rich alkaline to neutral soils. Thrives in chalky ground and appreciates mulching when planted in full sun
Propagation
Propagate by softwood cuttings or layering in early summer. Grafting can be done in winter and chip budding in summer
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
- Hedging and screens
Pruning
Pruning group 1. Tolerates hard renovation pruning
Pests
May be susceptible to lilac leaf-mining moth, willow scale and thrips
Diseases
May be susceptible to lilac blight, honey fungus, phytophthora, powdery mildews and bacterial canker (Pseudomonas Syringae)
Get involved
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