Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Syringa × josiflexa 'Agnes Smith'

lilac 'Agnes Smith'

A compact, deciduous shrub, with mid-green leaves. Clusters of small pure white highly scented flowers are produced in the spring

Synonyms

Syringa × prestoniae 'Agnes Smith'
Syringa × prestoniae Miss USA

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
3 suppliers

Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Loam

Clay

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Oleaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Syringa can be deciduous shrubs or trees, with simple, entire or rarely pinnate leaves and conical panicles of small, very fragrant, 4-lobed tubular flowers in late spring or early summer
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus rich, well drained, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun. Mulch regularly. Dead head newly planted lilacs before fruit forms.

Propagation

Propagate by soft wood cuttings or layering in early summer. Graft in winter or bud in midsummer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Pruning group 1, little or no pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible leaf miners, thrips and willow scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to lilac blight, honey fungus, phytophthora, powdery mildews and bacterial canker (Pseudomonas Syringae)

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.