Syringa, Preston Lilac 'James MacFarlane'

The Preston lilacs bloom 2 weeks later than common lilac (S. vulgaris) and are often said to be one zone hardier (to Z2, though Dirr does...Read More not agree). They may be useful in Z2, and for extending the lilac season in a lilac collection.

However, the fragrance is quite unlike that of common lilac, and to my nose much less pleasant, more like privet.

Healthy leaf color is dark green. Plants with yellowish foliage have a health problem.

Like other lilacs, these require well drained soil and are no more tolerant of wet soil than other lilacs.

These hybrid lilacs originated in crosses between S. villosa and S. reflexa. They are not descended from common lilac (S. vulgaris), and have a different fragrance.

We love this lilac. The almost-pink flowers are beautiful and fragrant. The deer don't like it much, so they eat the common lilacs and ...Read Morelet the Preston hybrids alone. It never suckers, which means you can grow it in a garden bed with no worries. It never mildews. Nothing bothers it. It should be much more widely used. Here, at least, on the south shore of Lake Superior, it's rock-solid cold hardy.

This Preston Lilac is GOING OFF right now in my garden, just as my French (Vulgaris) varieties are on their way out... The one that is pr...Read Moreolific right now is not the MacFarlane (which seems to be a slow grower here), but is light pink in bud, opening to near white. I'd love to know what cultivar it is. Research online has turned up little. 5 years ago when I planted it from a 5 gallon pot, it was 3 ft tall. Now it's 8 ft at least, and 6 wide! I love the shape, which is very even, and have 2 clematis that scamper through it(one being Mme. Julia Correvon). I also appreciate that it does not sucker, as it is placed in a very centrally viewed mixed border. A great plant that has really grown and flourished where it is situated. As for the James MacFarlane... well, he's a slow one, but he gets a little less regular watering as well.

Have this shrub at the back of my "English" garden, inherited from the previous owner. It is tagged "Syringa x Swegiflexa James MacFarla...Read Morene," but my research suggests that it is the same plant as S. x Prestoniae. It has a stiffer, more upright habit than the common lilac and suffers tip dieback in our winters (zone 6b but quite an exposed position). On the plus side, it repeat blooms in October here.