Syringa Scentara® Double Blue

Syringa Scentara® Double Blue, an early flowering lilac, is a deciduous shrub offering three seasons of interest. Small, distinctive heart-shaped leaves emerge rich green, retain their color in summer, and often turn bronze to purplish red in fall. Heavy blooming, Syringa Scentara® Double Blue sets large, very showy terminal clusters of highly fragrant violet blue flowers, which take on blue tones in the sun. Blooming on old wood in mid spring, the sweet-scented blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and make lovely spring bouquets. For longer lasting cuts, choose stems that have at least three-quarters of the flowers open, harvest in the cool of morning, remove all leaves, and immediately place in fresh, cool water.

A highly versatile, multi-stemmed shrub, Syringa Scentara® Double Blue has a uniform, upright habit and a moderate growth rate. A nice specimen, it makes a great filler in a container garden, but it is shown to best effect when massed or grouped in beds and borders and makes a nice screen.

Syringa Scentara® Double Blue is long-lived and easy to grow. It prefers full sun and fertile, humus-rich, medium to dry, well-drained soil with a neutral to alkaline pH. The plant tolerates very cold conditions and requires a period of cold weather to bloom well. It is not well-suited to warmer climates and cannot tolerate soggy, wet conditions. The plant is mildew and deer resistant.

The botanical name of lilac, Syringa (suh-RIN-gah), is from the Greek word syrinx, which means tube. This is because the stems of lilac contain a spongy pith which can be removed, leaving a hollow tube that has traditionally been used to create panpipes.