Syringa vulgaris Konchalovskii - Common Lilac

The Konchalovskii Lilac, a superb descendant of the Syringa vulgaris, charms us with its clusters of beautiful, delicately scented, double flowers in a lovely lavender pink. This fairly old variety has all the charm and qualities of the common lilac, emblematic of old gardens, whether town or country: perfectly hardy and undemanding, it is unrivalled for its abundance of flowers, lustre, and subtle fragrance which, whilst not particularly strong in this Konchalovskii variety, is valued in flower bouquets, alongside peonies and irises. Its vigor allows it to thrive in a large flowering hedge or rustic shrub border.

The Syringa vulgaris 'Konchalovskii' is a shrub from the Oleaceae family, developed in 1956 by Leonid A. Kolesnikov in Russia. It is often forgotten that the common lilac, also known as the European Lilac, is native to south-eastern Europe and western Asia, more specifically the Balkan Peninsula, and that it arrived in western Europe at the end of the Renaissance. In the wild, this indomitable plant with highly scented blue-violet-purple flowers colonises stony hillsides and withstands cold winters.

The 'Konchalovskii' variety is a robust shrub, with an upright and rounded habit, reaching an average height of 3 to 4 m (10 - 13ft) and spread of 2.50 m (8ft). It naturally forms a multi-stemmed bush, similar to the mock orange with which it should not be confused. Its triangular and heart-shaped leaves, measuring 4 to 10 cm (1.6 - 3.9 in) long and 3 to 7 cm (1.2 - 2.8 in) wide, appear in spring in a satiny medium green. Flowering occurs in May. Compound clusters called thyrses, 15 to 22 cm (5.9 - 8.7 in) long, appear at the ends of one-year-old branches. The rose-mauve flower buds open into light mauve-pink, double flowers with a slight fragrance, creating a charming flower head that combines both colours. This sucker-producing variety produces numerous suckers from its base if it is ungrafted.

The shape of the multi-stemmed, mature Konchalovskii lilac is so impressive that along with its beautiful pastel flowers, it really deserves a prominent place as a free-standing specimen in a small garden. Easy to grow in temperate climates or even some mountain areas it is an excellent choice for a loose free-flowering hedge or shrub border. Mix it with other white, mauve, or red varieties, alongside single-flowered roses, mock oranges, Amelanchier trees, snowbell tree, or large buddleias (B.officinalis, B. alternifolia). A hedge of lilacs, flowering cherries, Chinese flowering almonds, Japanese quinces, and ornamental apple trees, planted above a sunken pathway is a true delight in spring. It can also be used as a free-standing specimen in a space to itself, surrounded by a bed of ground-covering roses, to turn this modest subject into a grandiose shrub, covered in grandiose glory in the heart of spring.