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Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 12 to 15 ft
Width: 8 to 12 ft
Flower color: Blue-lavender to soft blue, fully double, highly fragrant flower clusters
Foliage color: Medium to dark green, broadly heart-shaped leaves
Bloom time: Mid to late 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 'President Grevy'

President Grevy Lilac

Syringa vulgaris 'President Grévy' is a classic French lilac known for large, conical panicles packed with double florets in a soft lavender-blue to light blue tone. The flowers are richly fragrant, and the trusses sit prominently at stem tips above fresh green, heart-shaped leaves, making it a favorite for cutting and for planting near patios and paths.

Blooming in mid-spring to late spring (often May), this long-admired cultivar was introduced in France in the 1880s by the Lemoine nursery and named for French president Jules Grévy.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Fragrant Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Juniper · Beautyberry · Larkspur · Pincushion flower · Wallflower · Grape hyacinth

Design tip

Draw the eye upward with ‘President Grévy’s’ prominent flower trusses, using lower-growing plants around it to create a gradual rise in height. The layered arrangement emphasizes the lilac’s substantial stature while keeping its lavender-blue spring flowers clearly visible.