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Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 10 to 15 ft
Width: 8 to 12 ft
Flower color: Magenta to deep purple, single, strongly fragrant flower clusters
Foliage color: Deciduous medium green leaves
Bloom time: Mid 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

Shrubs

Syringa vulgaris 'Fritz Klager'

Fritz Klager Lilac

Syringa vulgaris 'Fritz Klager' is a classic lilac cultivar that flowers in mid-spring with well-formed panicles of fragrant, magenta to deep purple single florets. Buds open rich in color and produce a perfume that fills the spring garden as fresh green, heart-shaped leaves follow the bloom. The open, conical flower clusters are appreciated for their strong scent and clear, warm tones, which make them excellent for cut arrangements and visual interest in early season beds.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Fragrant Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Thyme · Switch grasses · Catmint · Penstemons · Coreopsis · Blanket flower

Design tip

Bring ‘Fritz Klager’s’ warm magenta-purple flowers into a looser, more naturalistic composition. Airy spring perennials and ornamental grasses at its base can soften the transition from its substantial woody framework to the lower garden without competing with the richly colored flower clusters.