In late spring and early summer, this award-winning lilac produces slender trusses up to a foot long, of well scented, wine-red flowers. A long-standing favourite, this shrub is considered one of the best, and it reliably puts on a great show. Even after the flowers have faded, the heart-shaped foliage looks pretty throughout the summer.
How to care for Syringa vulgaris Andenken an Ludwig Späth:
In mid-summer remove the faded flower heads carefully using secateurs to avoid damaging the young shoots. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant in early spring.
Flowering period:
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Eventual height:
4m
Eventual spread:
4m
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
-
This shrub is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.