Common lilac vs Smoke bush

Common lilac and Smoke bush are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, specimen, screening). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Common lilac

Syringa vulgaris 3 m × 2 m after 10 years

A large, long-lived deciduous shrub grown for its strongly scented flower clusters in spring. It copes well with sun, heat and limy soil, and with…

Shrub

Full sun

from about PLN 23

Smoke bush

Cotinus coggygria 3 m × 3 m after 10 years

A large, spreading deciduous shrub known for the smoke-like, pinkish, fluffy plumes it carries in summer and for its yellow, orange and purple-red…

Shrub

Full sun

from about PLN 29

Key differences

Smoke bush spreads wider: 3 m × 3 m after ten years, against 3 m × 2 m for Common lilac (an estimate: sources differ).
Common lilac needs less water than Smoke bush.
Smoke bush needs less care than Common lilac.

Which one to choose?

Common lilac is the better choice if you cannot water regularly.

Smoke bush is the better choice if you have little time for care.

Watch out for

Common lilac

In Central Europe it escapes from gardens: its root suckers form dense stands in dry grassland, on rocky slopes and along woodland edges, where they crowd out native plants. It is on the official invasive species list in Germany and is treated as invasive in Hungarian botanical literature. The foliage often gets powdery mildew by late summer, lilac leaf miner browns the leaves, and late frost can kill the flower buds. Grafted cultivars also sucker from the rootstock, so remove those shoots at the base.

Smoke bush

Its most serious disease is verticillium wilt, which makes whole branches die suddenly, mostly on wet, heavy soil. Leaf spot and, in dry weather, powdery mildew also occur. Purple-leaved forms turn green in shade. The resinous sap can irritate sensitive skin, so wear gloves when pruning.

The data side by side

Feature	Common lilac	Smoke bush
Group	Shrub	Shrub
Size after 10 years	3 m × 2 m (uncertain)	3 m × 3 m (uncertain)
Ultimate size	3–7 m × 2–4 m (uncertain)	3–5 m × 3–4.5 m
Growth rate	Medium	Medium (uncertain)
Light	Full sun	Full sun
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Heat tolerance	High	no data
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	April–May, purple, pink, white, blue	May–July, yellow, pink
Water need	Low	Medium
Drought tolerance	High	High
Maintenance	Medium	Low
Planting distance	200 cm	250 cm
For dogs	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	no data
For cats	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	no data
For children	Mildly toxic (uncertain)	Mildly toxic
Typical price	approx. PLN 23	approx. PLN 30

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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