Lilacs are the fragrant stars of any sensory garden with their alluring scent and brilliant flower clusters in various shades of pink, magenta, and purple. It’s not surprising, then, that the lilac is a stunning flowering bush that will turn your garden into a bird paradise. Thanks to this plant’s popularity, breeders have been experimenting with common lilac species and have produced well over 2000 different cultivars and hybrids. This means there’s likely to be more than one variety for any garden application, including lilac flower varieties that can easily be grown in pots. If you have a thriving container garden and want to add one of these beauties to your collection, here are a few of the best lilac varieties suitable for growing in pots.

Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is probably the species you’re most familiar with. But you’ll find that this outstanding plant is far too large to grow successfully in a container. It can reach an impressive height of 15 feet with a spread of up to 12 feet. A much better alternative is the dwarf Korean lilac (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’), which stays at a more manageable size of around 4 to 5 feet tall. It features a dense, rounded growth habit and has whitish-pink fragrant blooms. You’ll find that this cultivar is hardy down to USDA zone 3. Other hybrids of Korean lilacs include ‘Tinkerbell,’ which has pink flowers and a spicy fragrance, and ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’ with rosy lilac blooms; both thrive in zones 3 through 7.

There’s a lovely collection of lilac cultivars known as the Bloomerang group, developed by Proven Winners Plants. What’s special about these varieties is that they will bloom not only in spring but also again in summer and fall. With all that flowering capacity, you’ll want to explore some of the more of their dwarf types, which you can easily grow in pots. While some of these cultivars can grow into a small deer-resistant tree that blooms twice a year and makes any yard smell heavenly, there are two dwarf hybrids suitable for container growing. These generally only grow to around 3 feet in height. Bloomerang dwarf pink ‘SMNJRPI’ has the prettiest pink flowers, while Bloomerang dwarf purple “SMNJRPU’ has outstanding purple ones. Like other popular lilacs, these will attract both butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard in hardiness zones 3 through 7.

To grow a dwarf lilac successfully in a container, choose a large one (24 inches in diameter) with plenty of drainage holes, as these plants don’t appreciate having wet feet. You also want to ensure your plant gets plenty of sun if you want loads of fragrant blooms. A sunny balcony or a bright spot on your patio will work well. You might even want to put your large pot onto a moveable base so you can move it around when needed. Of course, you’ll also want to know the best time to prune your lilacs to ensure your fragrant plant stays healthy.