Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla 'Superba'

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Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 5 to 8 ft
Width: 8 to 14 ft
Flower color: Rosy pink to deep pink, very fragrant flower clusters
Foliage color: Deciduous medium green leaves
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer, with possible rebloom in late summer to early fall
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Low to moderate
Maintenance: Low to moderate; prune immediately after flowering to shape and remove spent clusters
Growing zone: USDA zones 4 to 7
Wildlife: Fragrant blooms attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators

Shrubs

Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla 'Superba'

Suberba Little Leaf Lilac

Syringa pubescens subsp. microphylla 'Superba' is a deciduous lilac with small, dark green leaves on fine, twiggy branching that gives the plant a soft, airy texture. In late spring to early summer, it carries loose panicles of fragrant, rosy-pink, long-tubed flowers that perfume the garden and draw early pollinators.

This cultivar is a garden selection of the littleleaf lilac, a species native to China, and it is widely grown for reliable flowering and good ornamental foliage through the season.

Light

Full sun to part shade

Water

Low to moderate

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer, with possible rebloom in late summer to early fall

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Fragrant Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Larkspur · Windflower · Hardy mum · Fountain grass · Candytuft · Columbine

Design tip

Take advantage of ‘Superba’s’ unusually broad habit by using it to visually bridge taller shrubs and lower perennial plantings. Its fine branching and small leaves create a softer transition between those different scales, while the fragrant pink flowers add a strong seasonal highlight.