Syringa 'Michel Buchner' - Double Lilac
Overview
The Syringa 'Michel Buchner' is a classic French lilac variety that brings timeless elegance to any garden. This stunning deciduous shrub is renowned for its densely packed, double flowers that create an impressive display of colour and fragrance each spring. Named after a 19th-century horticulturist, this cultivar has remained a favourite amongst gardeners for over a century.
Key Features
Flower Details: The standout feature of 'Michel Buchner' is its magnificent double blooms. Each flower head consists of numerous small, ruffled flowers in a soft rosy-lilac colour that gradually fades to pale pink as they age. The double petals create a full, luxurious appearance that distinguishes it from single-flowered varieties.
Fragrance: Like all lilacs, this variety produces the classic, intoxicating lilac scent that can perfume an entire garden corner during peak bloom time.
Foliage: Heart-shaped, mid-green leaves provide an attractive backdrop for the flowers and remain healthy throughout the growing season.
Growing Requirements
Position and Soil
-
Sunlight: Thrives in full sun to partial shade, though flowering is best in sunny locations
-
Soil: Prefers well-drained, fertile soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH
-
Drainage: Essential - avoid waterlogged conditions which can lead to root problems
Climate Tolerance
-
Hardiness: Fully hardy in the UK (RHS Hardiness Rating H6)
-
Cold Requirements: Benefits from winter chill hours for optimal flowering
-
Wind Tolerance: Reasonably wind tolerant once established
Mature Size and Growth
-
Height: 4.0-8.0 metres
-
Spread: 2.5-4.0 metres
-
Growth Rate: Moderate, typically gaining 30-40cm per year when young
-
Form: Upright, vase-shaped habit with multiple stems
Flowering Period
Blooms from late April to mid-May, depending on local climate conditions. The flowering period typically lasts 2-3 weeks, coinciding with late spring. Flower heads can reach 15-20cm in length.
Care and Maintenance
Watering
Water regularly during the first growing season to establish a strong root system. Once established, lilacs are relatively drought tolerant, though they benefit from watering during extended dry periods.
Feeding
Apply a balanced fertiliser in early spring. A light application of garden compost around the base annually will help maintain soil fertility.
Pruning
-
Timing: Prune immediately after flowering (May-June) as flower buds for next year form on new growth
-
Method: Remove spent flower heads and any dead, diseased, or crossing branches
-
Renovation: Old, overgrown specimens can be hard-pruned in winter, though this will sacrifice flowering for 1-2 years
Planting Guide
-
Best Time: Plant from October to March when dormant
-
Spacing: Allow 2-3 metres between plants for air circulation
-
Planting Depth: Plant at the same depth as in the container
-
Initial Care: Water well after planting and apply a mulch to retain moisture
Garden Uses
-
Specimen Plant: Perfect as a standalone feature in medium to large gardens
-
Mixed Borders: Excellent backbone plant for shrub borders
-
Informal Hedging: Can be used to create fragrant, seasonal screens
-
Cut Flowers: Blooms make superb cut flowers for indoor arrangements
-
Wildlife Garden: Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Companion Plants
Pairs beautifully with other spring-flowering shrubs such as flowering currants, mock orange, and weigela. Underplant with spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips for extended seasonal interest.
Special Notes
'Michel Buchner' is considered one of the finest double lilac varieties available. Its compact size makes it suitable for smaller gardens where other lilac varieties might prove too large. The double flowers are less prone to weather damage than single varieties, extending the flowering display.
This variety is also excellent for creating a traditional cottage garden atmosphere and works particularly well in period garden settings where its classic charm can be fully appreciated.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
| Size | Availability | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
In stock
|
£19.99 |