Syringa vulgaris Zhemchuzhina
Syringa vulgaris Zhemchuzhina
Syringa vulgaris Zhemchuzhina
Syringa vulgaris Zhemchuzhina
Common Lilac, French Lilac
Planted in autumn 2020, the bush has settled in beautifully and produces stunning clusters of fragrant flowers every spring, delighted!
Maelle, 27/04/2025
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This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty
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Description
The common lilac or Syringa vulgaris 'Zhemchuzhina' is an excellent Russian variety dating back to 1964, with a remarkably fragrant spring flowering. Its large clusters of single to semi-double florets display a tender blue-violet to light pink colour, mixed with pretty rose-purple buds. This deciduous bush with a very bushy habit also stands out for its beautiful vigour in the garden, allowing it to thrive in a large flowering hedge or a wild shrub border. Its delicate and fragrant flowers are ideal for making bouquets.
The Syringa vulgaris 'Zhemchuzhina' is a deciduous bush from the olive family, obtained in Russia by V. Bibikova and N. Smol'skiy in the early 1960s. It is often forgotten that the common lilac, also known as European lilac, is native to Southeast Europe and Western Asia, specifically the Balkan Peninsula, and arrived in Western Europe at the end of the Renaissance. In nature, this untamed plant with highly fragrant blue-violet-purple flowers colonises rocky hills and withstands cold winters.
The 'Zhemchuzhina' variety forms a sturdy bush with an upright and rounded habit, reaching an average height of 3m (9 ft 10 in) and a spread of 2.50m (8 ft 2 in). Its triangular and heart-shaped leaves, measuring 4 to 12cm (1.6 to 4.7 in) long and 3 to 8cm (1.2 to 3.1 in) wide, appear in spring in a medium green shade with a satin finish. Flowering takes place in early May. At the tips of one-year-old branches, compound clusters called thyrses, measuring 15 to 18cm (5.9 to 7.1 in) long, appear. The rose-purple floral buds open into light rose-violet florets with bluish reflections, creating a range of tender colours without being insipid.
Easily grown in cool and relatively water-rich climates, even in mountainous areas, the common lilac 'Zhemchuzhina' thrives in ordinary, moist, preferably calcareous but well-drained soils. Use it abundantly mixed with other white, pink or red varieties in large flowering hedges, alongside single-flowered roses, mock oranges, deutzias, serviceberries, Itea or large buddleias (B.macrostachya, B.officinalis, B. alternifolia). A hedge of lilacs, flowering cherries, Chinese almond trees, Japanese quinces, and ornamental apple trees, planted above a sunken path, is a true delight in spring. It can also be used as a standalone plant, surrounded by a ground cover rose bed, in a small dedicated space, to transform this modest subject into a grandiose bush, covered in glory in the heart of spring.
Syringa vulgaris Zhemchuzhina in pictures
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Syringa
vulgaris
Zhemchuzhina
Oleaceae
Common Lilac, French Lilac
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
The Lilac bush enjoys planting in full sun, in a soil that remains fairly moist and well-drained, even rocky. It can tolerate any type of soil, but prefers slightly limestone soils and is sensitive to strongly acidic soils. It will grow well in partially shaded areas, but the flowering will be reduced. Its hardiness is excellent, beyond -15°C (5 °F). Easy to grow, it requires only mulching and regular watering in dry climates during the summer to maintain a certain level of moisture. If the common lilac grows in the south of our regions, its large-flowered hybrids suffer from a lack of water which often disfigures their thirsty vegetation. In any case, water it during the first few years and in case of marked drought. You can prune the flowering branches to make beautiful bouquets, or at the end of the flowering period to promote the appearance of new flowers and avoid exhausting the bush. Avoid severe pruning that limits the following spring's flowering, unless your Lilac becomes too large.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
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In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a (East Coast and Midlands: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise). It will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the north-west (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal, Westport), delay planting by 1 to 2 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 1 to 2 weeks in autumn compared to the dates given, preferably choosing periods without strong winds.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (Wicklow Mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, Killarney), it is best to plant in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), avoiding periods of waterlogged soil in winter and strong winds, which pose the main risk to newly planted trees in these areas.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a, such as the East Coast and Midlands, including Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Portlaoise.
This will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the northwest (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal and Westport), it will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the given dates, due to stronger Atlantic winds and less spring sunshine.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (the Wicklow Mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Connemara and Killarney), flowering will be delayed by two to three weeks. Flowering mainly occurs between May and July, with the limiting factors being less frost and more of the excessive humidity, strong winds and lack of sunshine that are characteristic of these areas.