Syringa x hyacinthiflora 'Alice Eastwood'

Common Name:
Hyacinth Lilac 'Alice Eastwood'

Description:
Syringa x hyacinthiflora 'Alice Eastwood' is an early-blooming hybrid lilac, celebrated for its stunningly fragrant, mauve-pink flowers and graceful growth habit. As part of the hyacinthiflora group—a cross between Syringa vulgaris and Syringa oblata—this deciduous shrub tends to flower up to two weeks earlier than common lilacs, bringing a welcome burst of colour and perfume to the garden in early to mid-spring. The flower panicles are dense and upright, with each floret a soft lavender-pink shade that deepens in cool weather. Its scent is sweet and pervasive, a standout feature in the landscape or when used as a cut flower indoors. The foliage is somewhat broader and more rounded than that of S. vulgaris, often turning bronzy-red in autumn for added seasonal interest. Well-suited to Melbourne’s conditions, ‘Alice Eastwood’ thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, showing good mildew resistance and cold hardiness. It is ideal for garden borders, hedges, or as a fragrant specimen plant.

Form:

• Shrub - Medium

Mature Size:

• Height: 2.5–3 metres

• Width: 2–2.5 metres

Aspect:

• Full Sun

• Part Shade

Flowering:

• Flowers in Spring (early to mid-spring)

Flower Colour:

• Mauve-pink

• Lavender-pink

Key Attributes:

• Scented flowers

• Bee Attracting

• Bird Attracting

• Perennial

• Suitable for Hedging

• Cold Hardy

• Early flowering

• Good mildew resistance

Toxicity:

• Not known to be toxic to humans or animals

Companion Plants:

• Spiraea thunbergii (Snowmound)

• Salvia nemorosa

• Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’

• Nepeta (Catmint)

• Buxus sempervirens (English Box)