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Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 8 to 12 ft
Width: 6 to 10 ft
Flower color: Deep reddish-purple to dark purple, highly fragrant flower clusters
Foliage color: Medium green, heart-shaped leaves
Bloom time: Mid to late 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 'Yankee Doodle'

Yankee Doodle Lilac

Syringa vulgaris 'Yankee Doodle' blooms in mid to late spring with large, upright panicles packed with single florets in very deep purple tones. Buds often open from near-black purple to velvety wine-purple. The trusses are strongly fragrant and hold well for cutting and indoor arrangements. Fresh blue-green, heart-shaped leaves frame the flowers and keep the shrub looking full after bloom.

'Yankee Doodle' is a modern U.

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Cottage Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Aster · Firethorn · Sneezeweed · Blue grama grass · Hebe · Manzanita

Design tip

Use ‘Yankee Doodle’ to add visual weight to the spring garden. Its near-black buds and deep wine-purple flowers create an unusually rich focal point, while the upright panicles carry that intense color above the shrub’s fresh green foliage.