Who doesn’t love lilacs? The ideal lilac shrub has about 10 canes and produces flowers at eye-level—all the better to enjoy that sweet, haunting fragrance.
Lilacs do come in seven colors, but most are familiar with the common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, which blooms in the northern states for 2 weeks in late May. However, there are early-, mid-, and late-season lilacs, which, when grown together, ensure a steady bloom for at least 6 weeks.
Lilacs are hardy, easy to grow, and low maintenance. They can grow from 5 to 15 feet tall, depending on the variety. The fragrant flowers are good for cutting and attractive to butterflies.
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live in pot
I live in NorthTexas and in I to mail order lilacs. They are to be 24' to 48'. What I am wanting to know is will they be ok if I plant them in a bigger planter temporarily. Also since Tx is a hotter climate, what if any changes should I make in watering, shade or composting?
Thank you for your help and time.
North Texas lilac
The specifics of your question really pertain to the variety of lilac that you’re purchasing. Some are more tolerant than others. Check with the source (the vendor) about your zone and your plant’s zone for compatibility.
Lilac has small buds
My mom planted a lilac bush 20 years ago in the shade near a big pine tree and it had small buds and leaves and It didn't grow well. so last year I move it in the rock garden in front where it gets a lot of sun and gave it lime and compost and now there a more tiny buds forming along the old growth in tight clusters, so my question is will this lilac grow into a big bush again or should I replace it with a new bush.
20-year-old lilac
It sounds like the plant is coming back nicely. Only time—or information on the variety, if you have it—will inform you of it’s future shape. Give is TLC and a couple of years. Consider that transplanting anything introduces a certain amount of shock that it needs to get over. It sounds like your plant is adjusting nicely, so keep doing what you’re doing!
planting potatoes according to your calendar
The date given for planting potatoes in Lilburn, GA, according to your calendar, is April at the earliest. That is totally incorrect. Potatoes need to be planted at the end of Jan into Feb. The latest they should be planted is mid-March. Atlanta is far enough south that potatoes die off in July from the heat. They are a cool weather crop, so they need the earlier planting date. This common misinformation causes a lot of problems and failures.
potato planting date
The calendar above (see “Planting Times” with the faded-back grid and word “Example” across it) will give you the proper dates—exactly as you report.
Lilac blooms
Do they drop their flowers like crepe myrtles? Or do they hold on even in wind? Wanting to plant near a pool, but I do not want the flowers or pedals covering my pool every day
Lilac Blooms
The lilacs we had in Colorado would 'shed' a few blooms in a good wind, but for the most part the blooms stay until the seeds start to 'set', and by then they're usually brown and shriveled. The blooms don't have discrete petals like, say, cherry or apple blossoms, so you won't have a scattered petal problem. The leaves are also fairly broad and well secured, they don't tend to drop until fall.
All that said, lilacs do attract bees along with other pollen/nectar eating insects. So having one in full bloom near a pool might get awkward for that reason.
When to stop watering lilacs
We had a couple of 28 degree nights, so I stopped watering; the leaves are a greyish green now and losing some - is that ok?
greyish leaves
The discoloration may be powdery mildew. If you have not pruned your lilac, do it this year after it blooms. This will help air circulation and reduce the risk of the mildew. Or it may be gray mold. This page offers guidance: http://extension.illinois.edu/focus/index.cfm?problem=gray-mold-ibotrytisi
Start over?
We moved into a new house and bought and plated a lilac this last spring/early summer. My husband put it in the ground and did nothing to prepare the soil or take care of the root ball. I’m not sure if it’s gone dormant or if it’s dead, the neighbors lilacs still look lively although the blooms are long gone. Should we try and dig it up, create a better environment for it and hope for the best now or in the spring? Or should we just get a new one and start over? We have hard, rocky clay soil that is not really well drained unless we dig down and create a raised bed.
Lilac Care
Hi April,
We would recommend replanting. Dig up the lilac bush and select a location with well-draining soil and plenty of sunlight (at least 6 hours). Prepare the soil by mixing in compost or well-rotted manure, and then plant the bush. You can add a 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant to help it grow a little more before the first frost, as well as to prepare it for spring. We hope this helps!
lilac has weird disease
I've search all over the internet, but I cannot seem to identify the disease my lilac is suffering from. It has small grey, flat spots all over it, much like mold. These spots come off when I scratch them. The blooms are unaffected by the disease, but I barely have any leaves on the bush this year. I've been treating with a fungicide, but I see no results. Thoughts?
Possible Lilac Diseases
Hi Jeri,
There are a number of possibilities: It could be Anthracnose, which first appears on lower, older leaves with defoliation progressing upwards; powdery mildew appears in whitish-gray mold patches on leaves and twigs; botrytis gray mold thrives in cool, moist conditions, causing decay of foliage; black spot also thrives in moist conditions, causing defoliation from black spots on leaves. Continue treatment with fungicide, but it may not help. Once foliage drops in fall, carefully rake up and remove all leaves: All of these diseases can overwinter in dead leaves.
lilac and silver birch trees evergreen
i moved into this prop 15months ago i am 80 yrs old but need to get my garden back and front done i need little or no maintenance so need to know if these are evergreens . and what else could you advise me to plant . thank you mrs leek
Lilacs
Most lilacs you may know are deciduous shrubs. If you’re looking for an easy evergreen, consider planting yews or boxwood, A deciduous shrub that keeps its green leaves is the rhododendron.
What to plant with a lilac tree?
I have a lilac planted in a large flower bed at the edge of my lawn. I would like to fill in the bed with other plants that would add color and interest. What would do well?
what to plant under/around lilac...
There are lots of options. See here for a few: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/growing-guides#Flower Nurseries may have many more. Remember, it is important that your plant choices are compatible with lilac conditions, not the least of which is proper pH, but also sunlight needs. See the advice for pH above in the “Planting” section. You should be aware, too, that lilacs send up suckers (see same section above for details), and staying ahead of (removing) these could cause disruption, even uprooting of the bedding plants. For this and other reasons, you will not see too many lilacs with plants bedded beneath them. That does not mean don’t do it, but you should be aware of what can happen.
Pest on my lilac.
I'm trying to get rid of hard black pests on my lilac. I'm not sure if it's the bugs eggs or the bugs themselves. Whatever it is it has done a lot of damage to my plant. Was hopeing for a natural remedy. Please help. Thank you
lilacs
I live in Colorado and planted 4 lilac bushes. They appear to want to grow but the leave start to burn on the tips and dry up. They get 12 hours of sun. Is that too much? I feel I will have to transplant them into an area with less sun. Do you have any suggestions to improve their growth ?
Lilac and A Make Shift Winter?
so, hello,
Do you think it may be possible to ice the root system in the true winter months say January - March? I live in NC, in the middle of the state, Crepe Mytles though pretty, just does not complete the experience of an aroma. I am homesick for my lilacs, I grew up with in Colorado and Ohio. please help.
Respectfully,
LJ
Simulated Winter for Lilacs
That is a very good question—and a difficult one to answer, too! We’ve never tried that ourselves, but our guess is that the process would be far too time-consuming and difficult to make it worth the effort. If you intended on digging up the lilac each year and “hibernating” it each winter, the plant would be unlikely to thrive. There are a few varieties of lilacs that may survive into Zone 7 (mid-North Carolina). Here’s a list from NC State University Extension. Check out Syringa oblata and Syringa patula specifically, and try contacting NC State University, as they may be able to give you some more specific, local advice. Good luck!
NC lilac
I live in Fayetteville,NC and have four different kind of lilac that are doing just fine. They are planted on south part of my backyard,away from grass. The nursery I bought the plants from told me to spray them with miracle grow for flowers and since then, bushes are making more flowers. This year I have new flowers in mid October. Strings vulgaris.
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Syringa vulgaris
Lilac blooms
When does the lilac bush set next springs blooms?
bloom
Lilacs bloom on old wood. They grow flower buds each summer for the next spring’s bloom.
We're planning on planting
We're planning on planting Lilacs this year along side a ditch in front of our home. Where were planning of planting these lilacs where we have existing poplar tress in that spot that have to be taken down because they are dying. These poplar trees have mushrooms growing around them which means they are stressed and they are starting to have dead branches. These trees are over 30 years old , would the lilacs grow between these stumps or do I have to remove the stumps completely. We live in Manitoba Canada. The lilacs would be in the sun 24 hours a day.
on replacing poplars
Apparently poplars are popular in Manitoba. This article explains a lot about them, including their lifespan, which seems to time out pretty close to your trees: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/historic/31341249.html The article (dating from 2003!) also explains why these trees tend to die after a few decades. The question that comes to our mind is, if your trees have a disease, would that disease continue into the lilacs? And if there is disease, it would seem wise to remove the entire thing, stumps and all.
Here’s more; specifically, about poplar rust: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/plant-diseases/poplar-rust.html Could that be afflicting your trees?
Honestly, it seems like you need to know what the problem is and if it resides in the ground before going forward with planting. An arborist in your area should be able to tell you. The University of Manitoba has a program; perhaps they’ll take your call. We hope this helps.
No clue
I purchased my home about a year and half ago and when I bought the house I originally thought that the bush was just a normal bush. It never bloomed or showed and signs that it was anything else. I trimmed it down this past fall and to my surprise it bloomed this spring. I have no clue as to how to care for a lilac bush. It only has like seven blooms on it as of right now but it is a good sized bush so I'd imagine there would be more. I'd like to keep it going and get it to really thrive so any advice is greatly appreciated.
lilac care
Shayna, How exciting! See this page all about lilac care; you will need to prune your bush to keep it blooming so pay special attention to the pruning section.
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