James Macfarlane Bare Root Lilac Bush

About James Macfarlane Bare Root Lilac Bush

Syringa × ‘James Macfarlane’
Introduced: 1959 | Origin: University of New Hampshire | Type: Late-Flowering Hybrid Lilac | Hardiness: Zones 3–7

🩷 True pink flowers, clean summer foliage and a late-spring bloom—James Macfarlane keeps the lilac show going in an entirely different color.

James Macfarlane is a beautiful late-flowering lilac known for something surprisingly difficult to find in the lilac world: clear, true pink flowers.

Rosy-purple buds open into abundant clusters of single pink blossoms held on an upright, vigorous shrub. Its flowers arrive approximately two weeks later than traditional Common Lilacs, extending the season just as many of the classic French varieties are beginning to fade.

🌸 Flower & Garden Details

Flower Color: Clear, true pink
Buds: Rosy purple to deep pink
Bloom: Single flowers in large pyramidal panicles
Fragrance: Light to mild
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Special Feature: Blooms approximately 2 weeks after Common Lilacs
Foliage: Large, dark green leaves with excellent mildew resistance
Habit: Vigorous and upright
Size: Approximately 8–10 feet tall × 6–8 feet wide
Light: Full sun
Hardiness: USDA Zones 3–7
Cut Flower: Excellent
Best Uses: Cutting gardens, flowering hedges, screens, mixed borders and cold-climate gardens

🩷 A True Pink Lilac

James Macfarlane was introduced in 1959 by plant breeder Albert F. Yeager at the University of New Hampshire.

Yeager selected it from a cross involving the lilac ‘Royalty’, and the resulting plant stood out for its late bloom and exceptionally clear pink flowers.

That's what makes James Macfarlane so useful in a lilac collection.

Many lilacs described as pink actually lean lavender, mauve or purple.

James Macfarlane really is pink.

And instead of joining the enormous mid-spring rush of Common and French lilacs, it waits until later in the season to put on its show.

💛 Why Grace Rose Farm Loves It

This is how we'd add pink to a true lilac-season garden.

James Macfarlane isn't trying to compete with our heavily perfumed French lilacs. Its fragrance is lighter.

Its strengths are color, timing and foliage.

The clear pink flowers bring an entirely different look to the garden, while its late bloom helps bridge the gap between the traditional lilac season and early summer.

It also has excellent resistance to powdery mildew, so the dark green foliage continues looking handsome long after the flowers have finished.

Plant it with Donald Wyman for a late-season combination of clear pink and rich red-purple.

Or use James Macfarlane as the pink finale to a collection that begins weeks earlier with Mount Baker and Pocahontas.

That's how you turn a few weeks of lilacs into a season.

🌿 Growing & Care

Plant James Macfarlane in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil for the best flowering. It is exceptionally cold hardy and adaptable, making it an excellent choice for northern gardens.

Unlike many traditional Common Lilacs, James Macfarlane has foliage with excellent resistance to powdery mildew, helping the shrub maintain an attractive appearance throughout summer.

Its naturally upright growth also makes it particularly useful for flowering screens and informal hedges.

If pruning is needed, prune immediately after flowering so the plant has plenty of time to develop the growth that will carry the following year's flowers.