Purple Lilacs

A selection of violet to mauve Lilacs, from pale purple to deep "blue," with single or double flowers. The spring flowering of Lilacs, which burst into clusters of deliciously scented flowers, showcases all the nuances of this elusive lilac colour. The wild Syringa vulgaris, the common Lilac, has blooms of a more or less pinkish mauve depending on the phase. The vigorous Charles Joly Lilac, with its highly perfumed double flowers in intense violet, has produced some very beautiful varieties. The President Grevy Lilac, also double, is generous and highly fragrant, with violet flower buds that open into cobalt blue blooms. The Prince Wolkonsky Lilac is considered the finest of the purple Lilacs, while Michel Buchner, over a hundred years old, is still a popular choice for its purple flower buds that open into pale pinkish mauve double blooms. For small gardens or container gardening, discover the Bloomerang Dark Purple Lilac, a large bush with a natural appearance that grows to 1.5m (5ft) in all directions, and whose flowering in purple-violet tones continues until late summer. Botanical enthusiasts will appreciate the Persian Lilac or Syringa persica 'Laciniata', a small and delicate shrub with finely cut foliage and airy panicles of delicately scented pale mauve flowers. Unique in its colour, the Sensation Lilac displays more sophisticated bi-coloured flowering with violet petals bordered by a white edge.

Stunning in a large flowering hedge, Lilac flowers are naturally perfect for bouquets, especially when combined with peonies and irises. Easy to grow in well-draining soil, in almost all climates, Lilacs are an essential shrub in any flower garden.