Syringa vulgaris

Origin: Southeast Europe.

Botanical characteristics: It is a large deciduous shrub, vigorous, upright and having suckers. Leaves are opposite, heart-shaped, pointed, with a beautiful dark green colour. In May, the flowering is abundant. It bears lilac flowers, gathered in pyramidal panicles, up to 20 cm long, dense, upright and intensely fragrant. It is a species that gave rise to numerous cultivars.

Agronomic and environmental characteristics: It is a cultivated plant, whose growth is often spontaneous in the Prealps and northern Apennines. It adapts to most soils, especially on calcareous ones. It requires full sun exposure.

Use: It has been cultivated for a long time as ornamental plant. It is used in parks and gardens as single plant, in groups, in mixed hedges. It is recommended for spontaneous gardens. Once it was common in the gardens of country houses.