Not
only are the members of this group the earliest-blooming of all
lilacs, but they also tend to be quite resistant to mid-summer
infections of powdery mildew. As a bonus, several cultivars display
fair to good reddish fall foliage color.
As is the case with most lilacs, the cultivars in this group (except for `Purple Glory')
all reach roughly eight to twelve feet tall and wide at maturity.
- `Annabel'
- Soft pink
- One of the earliest blooming of this group of early-bloomers!
- `Assessippi'
- Classic lilac lavender
- Very fragrant blooms.
- `Blanche Sweet'
- Steel blue
- Unique flower color with good fragrance.
- `California Rose'
- Very soft pink
- The lightest pink of any lilac.
- `Dark Night'
- Intense purple
- Neon purple flowers may be difficult to blend into the garden.
- `Esther Staley'
- Deep pink
- Carmine red buds are as attractive as fully open flowers.
- `Excel'
- True pink
- A reliably heavy-blooming plant.
- `Maiden’s Blush'
- Rose pink
- Hint of red makes the pink blooms of this plant really stand out.
- `Mount Baker'
- Pure white
- Pure white blooms are very fragrant.
- `Pocahontas'
- Pinkish-purple
- Flowers of this popular cultivar are traffic stoppers!
- `Purple Glory'
- Purple
- This cultivar’s claim to fame is its smaller size (six to eight feet tall and wide) for small spaces.
- `Sister Justina'
- White
- The earliest-blooming white lilac. Has good fragrance.