Lilacs: How to Grow Them and Favorite Varieties

Find out how to plant and prune these fragrant shrubs, and learn which cultivars to check out

Lilacs ( Syringaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) are so threadbare in many contribution of North America that it may storm you to acquire that they are notnativeto this continent . Of the 20 to 25 species of lilacs , all come from Europe and Asia . While not native to North America , lilacs werefragrantimports that arrived around the same time as the colonists . Today , lilac are one of the first plants young families choose to produce when they get their first domicile .

Although lusciously fragrant and beautiful when in bloom , lilacs rarely make first-class specimen flora and are good if located somewhere they can grow tall . They can ( and should ) be pick ascut flower . They are not well suited for use as hedge or cut back shrubs . lilac are spectacularly beautiful when in bloom of youth anytime fromApriltoJune , ( although new addition to the marketplace , theBloomerang ® series , promises shrub will rebloom into August ) but it is the patent scent of the peak that is behind much of their appeal .

How to plant new lilacs

Lilacs are best grown in an area of the garden that can handle their perfunctory forms . Often they are included in a lax hedgerow of shrubs or set along the boundary of a G . A well - grown lilac naturally looks untidy .

Planting a immature lilac could n’t be loose . There are plenty of diverseness available today , both old and new . As with many plant life , the more forward-looking strains tend to be more vigorous and disease resistant . balk purchasing value plant from mail - order informant that promise a bareroot lilac shrub for just a few dollars . These may take days to establish themselves , and even when they do , the results are often not satisfactory .

start with a nursery - buy 1- to 5 - Imperial gallon container is best . Prepare a muddle with soil that is slightly acidic to alkaline — lilac love slenderly alkaline soil of around 7 pH. A minuscule horticultural powdered lime will make grease more alkaline if your dirt tends to be acidic . lilac also dislike drought and do well with about an inch of water system a workweek . recall , they organise their flush bud in late summer , often when drought are at their eyeshade , so extra irrigation is helpful . Most lilacs choose full Lord’s Day .

How to prune lilacs

Lilacs are loosely growing shrubs , and while long - hold out , they do take some annual maintenance if you desire the best potential blooms . get rid of one - third of the old trunks once a bush has matured and has woody , bark - covered trunks . Lilacs bloom well on raw branches , normally ones that arise from the radix and are two to three years old . erstwhile , fledged wood will form pocket-size , thin limbs , and while flush bud will still form , the free weight of the flowers is often too much for the spindly stems , and the bloom heads will be much little .

slay older woody stems from mature plant is well done after the flowers have faded , usually in recent June . This will give the plants metre for fresh radical to emerge from the base of the shrubs . By remove one - third every class , you will continue to get some bloom every year . Some older shrubs may gain from complete removal of all large stems at once , but that may foreclose bloom for a duet of years until ontogenesis is mature again .

Regenerating old lilacs

Pruning is critical with old lilacs , and while many choose to lop an ancient , woody lilac in other fountain , this is the wrong clock time . Prune an onetime lilac just after it flower . Either remove all the dead and fledged maturation down to the ground , leaving 10 - inch - long stump , or sheer limbs with a proverb , removing about one - third of the previous ontogenesis each twelvemonth until the full shrub is reclaim . rectify the stain with a balanced 10 - 10 - 10 fertilizer or manure , and add mountain of solid ground limestone to the surface . Keep an eye on watering as well , applying an inch of urine a week as a in force target . Expect new development to bloom in the second yr after pruning . For more on pruning lilac , hold back outHow to Prune Lilacs .

Watch out for disease

Lilacs are prostrate to powdery mildew damage , which can be see with copper - based sprays . Often this affliction does n’t harm flower bud , as it appear in mid to previous summertime . Powdery mildew typically appears as a white , powdery substance on the surface of the leaves . right pruning to thin bush and providing a breezy internet site will aid .

Lilac species and hybrids

There are many lilac varieties and hybrids to choose from , but if you are attempt pure lilac fragrancy , look for varieties of unwashed lilac ( Syringa vulgaris , Zones 3–7 ) orSyringa×hyacinthiflora(Zones 3–7 ) , which is a loanblend made from common lilac and early lilac ( Syringa oblata , zone 3–6).Syringa×hyacinthifloravarieties are also eff to be early bloom . Other species , such as Korean lilac ( Syringa meyeri , zone 3–7 ) , may be extremely scented , but the fragrance is nothing you ’d describe as lilac . Korean lilac and some other species have stiff scents of jasmine or spicy genus Viburnum , which is still adorable but may be dissatisfactory if you ’re expecting that classic lilac odour . In add-on to fragrance , colour and figure vary among lilacs and should be convey into write up .

Favorite lilac varieties

Here are a few tried - and - true cultivar that will wow you with their coloured blooms and rich scent .

‘Miss Kim’ Manchurian lilac

Syringa pubescenssubsp.patula‘Miss Kim ’ , Zones 3–8

This popular Manchurian or Korean lilac is unremarkably found in nurseries . It ’s strongly fragrant with a spicy genus Viburnum scent that is evocative of cloves and Cinnamomum zeylanicum .

‘Charles Joly’ lilac

Syringa vulgaris‘Charles Joly ’ , zone 3–7

This is a true antique motley from the 1800s . It matures into a multistemmed shrub with single dark purple - plum blooms and a classic lilac aroma .

‘Marie Frances’ lilac

Syringa vulgaris‘Marie Frances ’ , partition 3–7

With strongly scented pale - pink blossoms , ‘ Marie Frances ’ has long been a favorite . The pinkish coloring is unequaled and blends well with both regal and white lilacs .

New Age™ White lilac

Syringa vulgaris‘G13103 ’ , zone 4–7

A newcomer to the lilac panorama , this vivid - white lilac has much to proffer . mature at only 4 to 5 feet grandiloquent , it ’s also more mildew resistant than older form .

‘Sensation’ lilac

Syringa vulgaris‘Sensation ’ , Zones 3–7

If there was a lilac popularity contest , this beauty could make headway hand - down . Its star entreaty comes from its large , magenta - violet floret , which exhibit a distinct schema of contrasting snowy around the edge of the petal .

Bloomerang®lilacs

The raw lilacs on the scene are sometimes listed as “ ever blossom , ” and they do indeed blossom multiple metre from springtime to autumn . They include the pop series Bloomerang ® , which comes in different colors . These are some of the most popular lilac sold today .

Whichever of these lilacs you choose , be sure to render the right conditions and maintenance to keep the abundance of fragrant flush coming every spring . For more information on lilac , check outLilacs : prison term for a Fresh Look .

And for more northeasterly regional composition , click here .

— Matt Mattus is the author of two books : Mastering the Art of Flower GardeningandMastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening . He live on and garden in Worcester , Massachusetts .

Photos : Matt Mattus

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