Syringa vulgaris Primrose - Common Lilac

The Common Lilac or Syringa vulgaris 'Primrose', a rather old variety, not very widespread and rarely planted, is the only one that bears, in spring inflorescences tinged with pale yellow, an exceptional colour easy to associate in the garden. Its single florets, gathered in large dense spikes, stand out in the garden, bringing softness, delicacy and scent. This bush, well ramified, with rather dark foliage, covered with creamy clusters, is spectacular in spring. The grace and strength emanating from its aged silhouette, often anchored on multiple trunks, as well as the finesse of its pastel flowering, also deserve pride of place in a small garden.

Fallen into disuse in the 70s, following the discovery of American or Asian lilacs, the European lilac and its hybrids are making a strong comeback in our gardens, just like old roses which were neglected in favour of modern hybrids.

The Syringa vulgaris 'Primrose' is actually a spontaneous mutation of the cultivar 'Marie Legraye' (with white flowers), discovered in greenhouses in Aalsmeer (Netherlands) in 1949 by Gerrit Maarse. Like all lilacs, it's a bush from the Oleaceae family. The common lilac, also known as European Lilac, is actually native to Southeast Europe and Western Asia, more specifically the Balkan Peninsula, it only arrived in Western Europe at the end of the Renaissance. In nature, this indomitable bush with very fragrant flowers colonises rocky hills and braves cold winters.

'Primrose' forms a large bush of medium development, with an erect and ramified habit, less than 3m (9 ft 10 in) high (most often 2 m (6 ft 7 in) 50) and a span of 2m (6 ft 7 in) on average. Its deciduous, triangular and heart-shaped leaves appear in spring, in a satin green hue. Flowering takes place in April or May, depending on the climate. At the end of one-year-old branches, small flowers appear in compound clusters, called thyrses, sometimes reaching 15 cm (5.9 in) in length. The floral buds of pale yellow colour bloom into single flowers tinted with cream, the corolla forming a long tube at the base. The clusters combine the two colours, in a unique pastel tone among Syringa vulgaris. They diffuse a pleasant, quite strong, very floral scent. This variety, a sucker, often produces suckers from its stump.

Easy to grow in any drained soil, under almost all our climates, the Common Lilac ‘Primrose’ is a must-have bush in a flower garden.  Use it, mixed with other purple, pink or red varieties, in large flowering hedges, in the company of single-flowered roses, mock oranges, deutzias, serviceberries or Itea. A hedge of lilacs, flowering prunus, Chinese Almond, Japanese quinces and ornamental apple trees, planted overlooking a sunken path, is a true delight in spring. It can also be used alone, surrounded by a bed of ground-cover roses, in a small space dedicated to it, to make this modest subject a grandiose bush, covered in glory in the heart of spring.