Frank P Matthews Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ Lilac Tree - 12Ltr Pot
🏆 Best Garden Centre in the UK in 2018, 2021 & 2025
🚚 Orders dispatched within 24 hours (next day delivery available)
🌼 Our team of experts are on hand 7 days a week
💚 Support a family run, independent business
Sorry... this item is currently out of stock
Frank P Matthews Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ Lilac Tree - 12Ltr Pot is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Couldn't load pickup availability
Frank P Matthews Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ (Lilac) – 12L Pot
Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ lilac is a beautifully fragrant lilac shrub producing large, double, purple-lavender flower clusters in late spring, making it a timeless favourite for borders, gardens, and flowering shrub displays.
Key Features
- Produces large, double, highly scented purple-lavender flowers in May
- Awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit
- Deciduous, bushy shrub with attractive heart-shaped green foliage
- Ideal for borders, specimen planting, or mixed shrub beds
- Thrives in chalky, neutral, or alkaline soils
- Easy-care and long-lived with excellent garden performance
Product Description
Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ is a classic lilac variety admired for its abundant clusters of double blooms in rich purple-lavender tones, gradually softening to lilac-pink as the season progresses. The flowers are intensely fragrant, filling the garden with a sweet spring perfume.
This upright, medium-sized deciduous shrub develops a gently spreading habit over time and is clothed in mid-green, heart-shaped leaves that provide a fresh backdrop to the floral display. Its neat, bushy structure makes it suitable for both formal and informal garden styles.
Best planted in a sunny position with well-drained, fertile soil, this lilac is highly reliable and simple to grow. It is particularly well-suited to chalky ground and benefits from mulching when planted in full sun to retain moisture and improve soil condition.
Specifications
- Botanical Name: Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’
- Common Name: Lilac
- Plant Type: Deciduous flowering shrub / small tree form
- Supplied As: 12L pot grown plant
- Flower Colour: Purple-lavender fading to lilac-pink
- Foliage Colour: Green
- Flowering Period: May
- Height & Spread at Maturity: Approx. 3m x 2m (after 10 years)
- Position: Border, shrub bed, or specimen planting
- Aspect: Full sun
- Exposure: Sheltered or exposed
- Soil Type: Chalk, clay, loam, or sand
- Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline
- Moisture Requirements: Well-drained
- Hardiness Rating: Hardy to -10°C
- Other Features: Scented flowers, chalk tolerant, award-winning
Care Tips
- Plant in full sun for best flowering
- Grow in well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil
- Mulch in spring to conserve moisture and enrich the soil
- Prune after flowering (replacement prune) to maintain shape and encourage next year’s blooms
- Water regularly during the first growing season, especially in dry spells
- Avoid heavy pruning in winter as this can reduce flowering
Add the unforgettable scent and classic beauty of Syringa vulgaris ‘Katherine Havemeyer’ lilac to your garden today – a superb choice for spring colour, pollinator-friendly planting, and a thoughtful gift for any garden lover.
About Us
About Us
We are a family run, independent Garden Centre, Farm Shop and Restaurant combined. We are proud to offer the very best gardening, home and outdoor living products alongside delicious, fresh, locally produced food and drink.
Awarded 'Best Garden Centre in the UK in 2018 & 2021 you can rest assured that we offer excellent products, plants and customer service.
Learn more about us and our story on the 'About Us' page.
Delivery
Delivery
Collect your order in-store, have it delivered to your door, or choose a convenient InPost Locker!
We aim to dispatch orders as quickly as possible using trusted couriers.
Your Questions Answered...
What are the delivery options and prices?
We offer Standard (3-5 working days) and Express (1-2 working days) delivery for a small additional charge.
- Postable items (e.g., seed packets, gift cards) - £2.95 via Royal Mail.
- Smaller, lighter items - £4.95 – £6.95.
- Larger, heavier, and fragile items - £9.95 – £19.95.
- Pallet deliveries (e.g., furniture) - from £69.95 (see kerbside pallet delivery details below).
The exact delivery charge is calculated at checkout based on your selected items.
New! Deliver to InPost Locker
Instead of home delivery, choose to collect your parcel from an InPost Locker near you.
- Delivery rates: £3.95 or £4.95 depending on item size.
- How it works: Choose InPost after completing your order. You'll receive a notification when your parcel is ready to collect.
- Collection options: Scan the QR code or open the locker remotely via the InPost app. If collecting from a shop, show your QR code to the staff.
- Collection time: You have 3 days to pick up your parcel. InPost will send a reminder 24 hours before expiry.
- Tracking: Track your parcel via the InPost app or the tracking link in your confirmation email.
Can someone else pick up my parcel?
Yes! Share your QR code or collection code (sent via email) along with your mobile number, and they can collect it for you.
Do I need ID to collect from an InPost Locker?
No, just scan the QR code in the app or your email. For InPost Shop collections, show the QR code to the staff.
Any more questions?
Visit InPost’s [help page](#) for more details or check their blog for tips and updates.
How do I track my delivery?
Once your order is dispatched, you'll receive an email with tracking details.
Who delivers my order?
Depending on size and weight, orders are delivered by Royal Mail, Evri, or Parcelforce. Furniture and large items arrive via kerbside pallet delivery.
What is kerbside pallet delivery?
Large items like furniture are delivered on a pallet using a heavy goods vehicle. The pallet is placed at the nearest safe kerbside location. The driver cannot move it across uneven ground or remove the items from the pallet.
We can arrange a delivery date that suits you. If access for large vehicles is difficult, please let us know in advance.
What should I do if my order arrives damaged?
If your order is damaged in transit, email us a photo and your order number within 24 hours so we can resolve the issue.
Do you deliver to Northern Ireland?
Yes, though some larger or heavier items may incur a surcharge. Unfortunately, we cannot ship plants to Northern Ireland at this time.
Do any UK areas have a delivery surcharge?
Additional delivery charges may apply for:
- Channel Islands
- Northern Ireland
- Scottish Highlands & Islands
- Isle of Man & Isle of Wight
- Scilly Isles
What is the warranty on my purchase?
All products come with a manufacturer’s warranty (typically 12 months unless stated otherwise). Faulty items within the warranty period may be repaired or replaced subject to the manufacturer’s terms.
Still have questions?
Contact us via our enquiry form, call 01497 847055, or email shoponline@oldrailwaylinegc.co.uk.
Returns
Returns
How do I return an item?
If a purchase is no longer required you are able to return the goods within 28 days of delivery for a full refund in accordance with our refunds policy set out in Clause 10 of our Terms & Conditions. We will refund any money received from you using the same method originally used by you to pay for your purchase. Please make sure that you include the sales order or invoice with your return.
When returning items to us, please ensure that any and all original packaging, instructions, tags etc are included as supplied to you. We recommend using a recorded/insured service to return your order. The Old Railway Garden Centre cannot be held responsible for returned items lost or damaged in transit to us.
