Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Syringa vulgaris 'Rochester'

lilac 'Rochester'

A slow-growing deciduous shrub, to around 2.5m high, with an upright to spreading habit and heart-shaped green leaves. Upright clusters of fragrant flowers are produced in late spring; individual flowers are often larger than usual and with more petals than the standard four. The name 'Rochester' is given to a strain developed from a single seed parent, so flower colour may vary, from the original white to pale or deep purple

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical 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

Thrives in fertile, humus-rich alkaline to neutral soils in full sun. Needs good drainage, especially over winter, and good air flow around the plant. Mulch well in spring

Propagation

Propagate by softwood cuttings, by layering in early summer or by grafting in winter. This cultivar can be slow to propagate

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Minimal pruning required, trim immediately after flowering if necessary (see pruning group 1)

Pests

May be susceptible to lilac leaf-mining moth, thrips and willow scale insects

Diseases

May be susceptible to lilac blight, honey fungus, phytophthora, powdery mildews and bacterial canker

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.