Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Syringa vulgaris 'True Pink'
True Pink Lilac
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Height
- 10 to 15 ft
- Width
- 8 to 12 ft
- Flower color
- Clear soft pink, fragrant flower clusters
- Foliage color
- Medium green, heart-shaped leaves
- Bloom time
- Mid to late spring
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- 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 'True Pink' produces clear pink, fragrant flower clusters that open in mid to late spring. Buds deepen to a warmer rose tone, then loosen into tapered panicles that perfume the garden and cut well for bouquets. Leaves emerge fresh green and create a dense backdrop through summer, with a lilac outline and upright branching.
This cultivar traces to lilac breeding by Hulda Klager in Woodland, Washington, and remains associated with the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens collection. After bloom, the plant settles into clean green foliage that supports summer structure, with spent trusses easy to remove for a tidy finish. It may form occasional seed capsules as the season advances.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Foundation Plantings · Fragrant Gardens · Pollinator Gardens
Companion plants
Peony · Indian hawthorn · Rock Cress · Feather reed grass · Dianthus · Glossy abelia
Design tip
Make ‘True Pink’ a spring focal point along a main garden sightline, where its clear pink flower clusters can draw the eye from a distance. Its upright branching gives the shrub enough presence to remain visually grounded after flowering ends.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens.
