Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Common Lilac

Group/Class:  French Hybrid Lilac

Description:

A breathtaking spring blooming shrub featuring excruciatingly fragrant purple and violet blooms with a two tone silver reverse; upright, compact habit, very hardy; ideal as a low screen; full sun and well-drained soil, allow room for air movement

Ornamental Features

Albert F. Holden Lilac features showy panicles of fragrant violet flowers with deep purple overtones and a silver reverse rising above the foliage in mid spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green deciduous foliage. The heart-shaped leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Albert F. Holden Lilac is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Invasive
• Insects

Albert F. Holden Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Albert F. Holden Lilac will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.