Syringa vulgaris Belle de Nancy - Common Lilac

Lilac ‘Belle de Nancy’ is an old variety from Victor Lemoine. It is a very floriferous descendant of Syringa vulgaris, the iconic lilac of old gardens, whether in the city or in the countryside. Like any good common lilac, it blooms abundantly in April-May, in the form of opulent clusters of tightly packed mauve-purplish buds. They gradually open into semi-double florets of a softer mauve, accompanied by a genuine lilac fragrance. This timeless shrub, an essential part of spring, has the gift of never tiring: once its exuberant flowering is over, it quietly fades into the anonymity of a hedge or a large rustic bed, modestly blending into the somewhat messy background of the garden.

Syringa vulgaris 'Belle de Nancy' is a shrub from the olive family, obtained in 1891 in Nancy by Victor Lemoine. It is the parent of beautiful varieties such as 'Belle de Moscou'. 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 indomitable plant with highly fragrant blue-violet-purple flowers colonizes rocky hills and braves cold winters.

The 'Belle de Nancy' variety forms a dense, compact bush with an upright and rounded habit, reaching an average height of 4m (13ft 1in) and a spread of 3m (9ft 10in). It naturally forms a bush composed of several stems, similar to the mock orange with which it should not be confused. Its triangular and heart-shaped leaves, 4 to 12cm (1.6 to 4.7in) long and 3 to 8cm (1.2 to 3.1in) wide, appear in spring in a medium green shade with a satin finish. Flowering occurs in May or April depending on the climate. At the end of one-year-old branches, pairs of compound clusters, called thyrses, appear, measuring 15 to 18cm (5.9 to 7.1in) in length. The light purple floral buds open into mauve-pink, semi-double and fragrant flowers, creating a delightful inflorescence that combines these two colours. This slightly suckering variety sometimes produces suckers from its stump.

The strength emanating from the aged silhouette of a lilac, anchored on multiple trunks, as well as the generosity of its flowering, sometimes deserve a prominent place, isolated, in a small garden. Surrounded by a bed of ground cover roses and catmints, in a dedicated small space, this modest subject will become a majestic bush, covered in glory in the heart of spring. Easy to grow in cool and relatively watered climates, even in the mountains, the common Lilac 'Belle de Nancy' thrives in ordinary, fresh, rather calcareous, but well-drained soils. Use it abundantly, mixed with other white, mauve, or red varieties, in large flowering hedges, alongside single-flowered roses, mock oranges, serviceberries, Crataegus 'Paul's Scarlet', Cotinus, or large buddleias (B.macrostachya, B.officinalis, B. alternifolia). A hedge of lilacs, flowering Prunus, Chinese almond, Japanese quinces, and flowering apple trees, planted above a large sunken alley, is a true enchantment in spring.