Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Syringa vulgaris 'Madame Lemoine'
Madame Lemoine Lilac
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Height
- 10 to 15 ft
- Width
- 8 to 12 ft
- Flower color
- Pure white, double, very fragrant flower clusters
- Foliage color
- Deciduous medium green leaves
- Bloom time
- Mid to late spring
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low to moderate; prune immediately after flowering to shape and remove spent clusters
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 3 to 7
- Wildlife
- Fragrant blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
About this plant
Syringa vulgaris 'Madame Lemoine' is a classic French lilac that flowers in mid to late spring with abundant panicles of fragrant, double white blossoms opening from creamy buds. The rounded clusters of blossoms often persist three to four weeks, filling the air with sweet perfume as heart-shaped green leaves develop and frame the blooms during the season.
Named in honor of the wife of famed French hybridizer Victor Lemoine, this cultivar has been grown for well over a century and is widely regarded as one of the best white lilacs for spring bloom. Its open, upright habit and long-lasting floral display make it suitable for mixed shrub borders and shrub specimens where the floral perfume and elegant white color can be enjoyed close up.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Foundation Plantings · Fragrant Gardens · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Yarrow · Oregon grape · Coreopsis · Blanket flower · Phlox · Bulgarian honey garlic
Design tip
Treat ‘Madame Lemoine’ as a bright punctuation point within a predominantly green shrub planting. Its abundant double-white flowers create a luminous spring display, while the surrounding foliage provides a calm backdrop that emphasizes both the rounded flower clusters and their creamy opening buds.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens.
