1 / 2

Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 10 to 15 ft
Width: 8 to 12 ft
Flower color: Soft pink to lavender-pink double flowers with deeper rose tones, highly fragrant
Foliage color: Deciduous medium green leaves
Bloom time: Mid to late spring
Light: Full sun
Water: Low to 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

Shrubs

Syringa vulgaris 'Belle de Nancy'

Belle de Nancy Lilac

Syringa vulgaris 'Belle de Nancy' is a classic French lilac with fragrant, fully double flowers that open in mid to late spring. Purplish-pink buds expand to lilac-pink florets that can soften to bluish mauve as they age, filling upright panicles and perfuming the garden, especially during calm spring evenings. Heart-shaped green leaves provide a clean backdrop through summer.

Introduced in 1891 by Victor Lemoine & Fils in Nancy, France, 'Belle de Nancy' remains valued for dependable bloom and elegant cut-flower clusters.

Light

Full sun

Water

Low to moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Fragrant Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Salvias · Bottlebrush · Blazing star · Maiden grass · Candytuft · Daisy bush

Design tip

Bring ‘Belle de Nancy’ closer to a patio or frequently used sitting area, where its fragrance can be enjoyed on calm spring evenings. The flowers’ gradual shift from pink to bluish mauve also rewards close viewing, with several tones often appearing across the shrub at once.