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Syringa sweginzowii
Hailed in 1912 as one of the loveliest of all lilacs by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Syringa sweginzowii (Oleaceae), the Chengtu lilac, is virtually unknown outside of specialist collections and Botanical Gardens.
Chengtu lilac is a beautiful Chinese species with bold, deep green leaves and slender, arching branches. In June, panicles of spicily fragrant, pale mauve tubular flowers, rosy-pink on the outside, are borne on the branch tips. In the David C. Lam Asian Garden, and contrary to most published descriptions, plants easily form small trees or large shrubs. The cultivar 'Superba' has even longer panicles than the species.
