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Hardiness: USDA Zone 2a: to -45.5 °C (-50 °F) USDA Zone 2b: to -42.7 °C (-45 °F) USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 °C (-40 °F) USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 °C (-35 °F) USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F) USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F) USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F) USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
Other details: This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds Flowers are fragrant Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater Flowers are good for cutting
Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information: Non-patented
Propagation Methods: By dividing the rootball From softwood cuttings
Seed Collecting: N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
On Oct 30, 2011, NancyMcD from Grand Marais, MI wrote:
We love this lilac. The almost-pink flowers are beautiful and fragrant. The deer don't like it much, so they eat the common lilacs and let the Preston hybrids alone. It never suckers, which means you can grow it in a garden bed with no worries. It never mildews. Nothing bothers it. It should be much more widely used. Here, at least, on the south shore of Lake Superior, it's rock-solid cold hardy.
On Jun 9, 2010, amuscledskier from Sagle, ID wrote:
This Preston Lilac is GOING OFF right now in my garden, just as my French (Vulgaris) varieties are on their way out... The one that is prolific right now is not the MacFarlane (which seems to be a slow grower here), but is light pink in bud, opening to near white. I'd love to know what cultivar it is. Research online has turned up little. 5 years ago when I planted it from a 5 gallon pot, it was 3 ft tall. Now it's 8 ft at least, and 6 wide! I love the shape, which is very even, and have 2 clematis that scamper through it(one being Mme. Julia Correvon). I also appreciate that it does not sucker, as it is placed in a very centrally viewed mixed border. A great plant that has really grown and flourished where it is situated. As for the James MacFarlane... well, he's a slow one, but he gets a little less regular watering as well.
On May 31, 2007, JulieKane from Hillsdale, NY (Zone 5b) wrote:
Have this shrub at the back of my "English" garden, inherited from the previous owner. It is tagged "Syringa x Swegiflexa James MacFarlane," but my research suggests that it is the same plant as S. x Prestoniae. It has a stiffer, more upright habit than the common lilac and suffers tip dieback in our winters (zone 6b but quite an exposed position). On the plus side, it repeat blooms in October here.
On May 15, 2004, langbr from Olathe, KS (Zone 6a) wrote:
Blooms about 1-2 weeks after the common lilac (Syringa vulgaris). This species also tolerates wetter soils than common lilac so moist areas are fine. Leaves are much more yellow-green (chartreuse) than your typical lilac.
Regional...
This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:
Deer, Arkansas Commerce City, Colorado Sagle, Idaho Olathe, Kansas Grand Marais, Michigan Petoskey, Michigan Lincoln, Nebraska Copake Lake, New York Webster, New York , Newfoundland and Labrador Portland, Oregon Aberdeen, South Dakota Vashon, Washington
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