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Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 8 to 12 ft
Width: 6 to 10 ft
Flower color: Soft lavender-pink, fully double, highly fragrant flower clusters
Foliage color: Medium to dark green, broadly heart-shaped leaves
Bloom time: Mid 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

Shrubs

Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer'

Katherine Havemeyer Lilac

Syringa vulgaris 'Katherine Havemeyer' is a classic French lilac with dense, conical panicles packed with fully double florets. Buds open mauve to lilac-pink, often softening toward lavender-purple as the clusters mature, and the flowers carry a strong, sweet fragrance. Heart-shaped, mid-green leaves provide a clean backdrop through the growing season.

Blooming in mid to late spring, the flower trusses sit prominently at stem tips and are excellent for cutting.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Hedging & Privacy
Fragrant Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Abelias · Tufted hair grass · Stonecrop · Coneflower · Agastache · Blazing star

Design tip

Build a soft spring palette around ‘Katherine Havemeyer’s’ naturally changing flower color. Its mauve and lilac-pink buds gradually soften toward lavender-purple, allowing neighboring plants in related pink, lavender, and violet tones to create a layered effect without relying on sharp color contrasts.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)