Evangeline Lilac (Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Evangeline’)

Delicate and ethereal violet blooms, the Evangeline Lilac (Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Evangeline’) is an early-flowering Lilac shrub that puts on an impressive display and kicks off your spring Lilac show every year! In fact, it will be one of the most breathtaking sights you’ll see in your yard! Long panicles of pale violet flowers shoot up to smother this shrub, calling butterflies, honeybees and early arriving hummingbirds to join in the celebration!

With a fitting backdrop for you to better enjoy the blooms, and fill your garden with greenery for the rest of the growing season, what could be more perfect than these blooms waving above the heart-shaped blue-green leaves?

As the darker buds open into double-petalled wonders of lighter violet, the two-tone effect that covers the shrub is amazing! As if the floral vision Evangeline creates wasn’t enough, the fragrance it emits is heavenly! It’s a butterfly’s delight! When fall arrives, your Evangeline will offer one last gasp of color with the foliage’s transition from its lively green to a deep purple hue.

If you love Lilacs, Evangeline is a must-have! Blooming a week or more before common Lilac bushes, Evangeline will extend your Lilac season. Pair with James Macfarlane, reblooming Bloomerang® Lilacs, or a late-season blooming little Miss Canada or Minuet for a long-lasting Lilac display all spring!

Evangeline Lilac will grow to 15 feet in height with a 12-foot spread. It has a multi-stemmed, upright habit and lives up to 30 years, giving you armloads of blooms for vase bouquets for years! Evangeline is a hardy shrub that’s a profuse-bloomer and sure to bring you enjoyment for many years to come. The double blossoms are resplendent in the bright sunshine and bloom reliably after even the coldest winters. Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 3 through 7 without missing a beat!

Planting and Application:

Plant a few of these for a tall hedge along your house or as a screen. These are prime bird-friendly habitats and nesting sites as the dense branching provides your feathered friends with as much cover and wind protection as it does you and your property! Create groupings in threes or zigzagged rows that hide eyesores, shield you from the prying eyes of a busy street, and offer sanctuary for wildlife.

One would also be outstanding as a specimen plant for your front yard. Once this early-blooming shrub takes the stage in early spring, traffic will be slowing down and neighbors will begin to crane their necks! Plant one on the corner of your home’s foundation or soften the corner of the garage, or display one on a berm front and center as she deserves!

Wafting that classic Lilac fragrance into the air, you can not help but breathe deep and relax, becoming whisked away from this hectic world for just a moment. It’s important to include Evangeline Lilac in your meditation and relaxation nooks where that fragrance combines with lush privacy and screening, easily blocking out the world as well! Create garden rooms with a semi-circle planting of large flowering shrubs for an entertainment area you can truly relax in!

• Striking Plale Lavender Blossoms
• Early Blooming Lilac With Fragrant Flowers
• Make Great Cut Flowers
• Vital Nectar for Pollinators
• Green Heart-Shaped Leaves
• Deep Purple Tinged Fall Color
• Tall Hedge, Privacy, Screens, Bird-Friendly Shelter & Specimens

Tips for Care:

Evangeline is tolerant of a variety of soil conditions, will even do well in urban environments, and is highly mildew resistant! Air circulation is important for Lilacs, so find a breezy place for them to perform at their best. It’s best to avoid low spots or heavily enclosed locations that trap airflow. Fertilize in early spring and again in mid-summer with Dr. Earth Organic and All Purpose Fertilizer, following directions on the package.

Lilacs bloom best in full sun but Evangeline also blooms in some part shade (though you may notice fewer flowers). Easily grown in average, medium moist, well-drained soil. Mulch helps your plants stay cool and moist. Apply to a depth of three inches, then pull it away six inches from the stems. Provide moderate moisture consistently all growing season, but these shrubs can be adaptable to some drought once fully established.

Disease and deer-resistant so you’ll be saved the time and trouble of dealing with costly measures to keep it safe from harm. If you live with deer in your area, apply repellent spray on planting day. Deer are hungry and curious, and you want to train them to leave your plants alone. Reapply according to the label.

Don’t miss a single bloom! Follow these easy Pruning steps for the best flowering:

Right after the flowers are done, it’s time to prune. Don’t delay, as Lilacs will produce next year’s flowers on the new growth from this year. Snip the past flowers, then remove inward-heading branches and the thickest stems out at ground level. The goal is to let the interior of the shrub have plenty of sunlight and air circulation.

Once your Lilac plants have been growing for about 10 years, you’ll want to start a regular schedule of renewal pruning, and removal of suckers (when needed). After the blooms are fading, cut a few of the oldest, thickest branches right down to the ground each year. The younger, thinner branches remain and keep your plant vigorous and healthy.

Renewal pruning is great for your Lilac shrub. Removing the oldest growth lets the new branches take their turn. The youngest branches will produce the best bloom for you the following spring. Prune to keep an open interior to reduce the chances of powdery mildew.

• Radiant in Full Sun & Some Part Shade
• Moderate Consistent Moisture
• Loves Mulched Beds & Well-Drained Enriched Soil
• Prune Immediately After Flowering Only
• Low Maintenance, Cold Hardy & Versatile
• Deer & Very Good Mildew Resistance

Two-tone double blooms and luscious fragrance, the easy-care Evangeline Lilac bush is sure to become the elegant crowing jewel for your landscape this year!