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. Learn how to take care of lilacs as well as prune at the right time.
About Lilacs
The common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, blooms in the northern states for 2 weeks from mid- to late spring. 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.
Reader Comments
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Dead lilacs?
So, for the last 15 years, my lilacs have been fine. Some are 40 years old! However, this summer, our neighbor across the street noticed that they seem to be dying. All the leaves are gone but the stems are still pliable. How do we know if it's dead? What can we do to revive old lilacs? Thank you.
dying lilacs?
Hi, Charles, This is not really a lot to go on, but here are some ideas.
It maybe that you simply owe the plants some soil improvement. See above, with links for more details: “
It also may be, as per above, your plants could be in shade (just a guess), more shade than they prefer as a result of nearby tree growth or even building construction.
Then again, the lilacs may indeed be ill. There is more info than we can cover here on this coop extension web site (it’s in Minnesota, but conditions may apply) https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/lilac-issues-season
We hope this helps!
Early dying
Gina, I am in Missouri and my Lilacs also shriveled up and died in July. Now they are in full bloom like it is Springtime!! I have never seen anything like this. I have been thinking my bush was confused.
Lilac help
Thanks for sharing, Sue!
Lilac bushes
We have a nice hedge of about 30 lilacs on our west side and out front which is east. It has been quite a while since we've had rain plus we've had excessive heat and humidity as a usual Iowa summer. Some of the bushes look like they are dyeing (brown leaves falling off as if it's fall) They also didn't flower as nicely this spring. What should I be doing? Do they need extra watering?
Lilac blight??
Hi, Gina,
We can not say exactly what is wrong with your lilac. But we consulted with a few cooperative extension services and rather than try to explain, suggest you read their pages and see if the problems identified there match yours. You will find some remedies as well. Here you go (it does not really matter if these coops are not in your area; read for conditions):
• https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-recognize-treat-avoid-lilac-b...
• https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/lilac-bacterial-blight
• https://extension.psu.edu/lilac-diseases
We hope this helps!
Blooms
I am getting alot of blooms, but they are small and partly brown. So discouraged.
Shrub not spouted a leaf yet for this season
I have a big 5 foot pink lilac shrub for several years now. It used to bloom so nicely but only a little later in the season. Last couple years it reduced its blooms and leaves started to brown and curl. I pruned nicely and waited for this season. so far I do not see a even a singly leaf sprout from the plant. I am not sure if the plant is dead or not or if I should wait longer. I thought by May they have a really good bushy plant with leaves but only the flowering take place a little late. What do you think might be wrong? please advise. Thanks.
Lilac looks like it's failling
We can not say exactly what is wrong with your lilac, Lakshimi. But we consulted with a few cooperative extension services and rather than try to explain, suggest you read their pages and see if the problems identified there match yours. You will find some remedies as well. Here you go (it does not really matter if these coops are not in your area; read for conditions):
• https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/how-recognize-treat-avoid-lilac-b...
• https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/lilac-bacterial-blight
• https://extension.psu.edu/lilac-diseases
We hope this helps!
Lilacs
I moved from Pennsylvania to southern California nine years ago. Our new home has 6 Lilacs near a fence which are blooming just fabulous at this writing. Mid April. I've been reading about the proper care of Lilacs. By the way, You Tube would be some good learning if you need, watch the videos, they are well worth it. Anyway, last season after reading and watching the videos, I went about pruning. I did some rather drastic pruning way at the top (some plants are about 15 feet high). I also removed some suckers way at the bottom and sawed off some obvious branches that needed to be trimmed. So. . . this season came about and I was rewarded with some very fragrant and beautiful blooms. Moral of the story? Listen and read and learn from other writings here on this page. You will learn much and maybe your situation will help others. It's the OFA way!
Lilac
Mine is 4 years old and has never bloomed. Help
Lilac bush
Bush is 2 years old and has started to but but all buds turned brown is it dying
https://gardenexpertdesign.com
I love these charmingly wonderful flowers! Especially their flavor.
To Deborah about Lilac disease
I have the same issue and I believe it could be Peach curl fungus. It affects a wild peach tree on my place, and my lilacs have it as well. I have yet to spray for it, but I believe if you look it up, you may find it to be the case.
Lilac
My mom had a huge lilac bush and it started reproducing she dug one of its “babies” and it just won’t bloom. It’s been like 4 years now with nothing. Could someone please tell me why or tips to help it bloom
Dewarf Lilac Bush
I have the bust about 2 yes , it started to bloom this year, it's lovely, but its a bit unsteady, any tips on how to make it more stable as it grows? Thank You.
Lilac Blooms
I know everything I've ever read says that lilacs bloom on old wood because they form "this year's blooms during last fall". However I beg to differ! I have a yellow lilac which is the Primrose and 7 out of 10 blooms on it, are on this year's new growth. I can't explain it. Can someone explain this to me??
Thank you!
lilac disease
Help! I have many different varieties of Lilacs living in Eastern Washington. I have a disease that results in stunted growth of the leaves, looking a bit curled, and doesn't initially affect the entire bush. It started with one lilac and after applying systemic treatment for a couple of years and removing the affected branches, I finally lost and removed the entire thing. Now I see a few of my other lilacs (and now, a few other species, like a rose and maple tree!) appear to have similar symptoms. None of my local nurseries can answer my questions, although I am now trying a new systemic and at one nursery suggestion, a new fertilizer as her thought was I was "starving" the plant. Does this sound familiar? Can you help with a potential solution? Thank you so much.
Lilac buds opening in fall
Hello I got a lilac bush that I transplanted 4 years ago and it bloomed good last year and I noticed it made new buds in July and in late September the buds broke open and the flower buds for this spring has opened and froze so what caused this and what can I do to prevent this from happening again?
preventing bud freeze
You need to protect the lilac from early or late-season freezes by covering them. You can use plastic, or bed sheeting, burlap, tarps, or whatever is large enough BUT you have to keep the covering from touching the lilac. Contact with the cover means contact with the freeze, so avoid contact. Use frame (often homemade) or stakes or, for example, a ladder and drape the cover over the plant. Clothes pins will sometimes hold the cover in place. You should not need to leave the cover on if no freeze is forecast.
New bushes
I got a new, small, bush last year(miss Kim) and a mouse or mole routed through the roots leaving it the appearance of being dead. We planted what was left again with little hope but it did start putting out leaves about half way through the summer. Since we believed it was dead we got another Miss Kim and it seems quite healthy but I am not sure if we should be wrapping it for winter or if that would encourage a mouse or whatever to move in again or if lilacs even need/want to be protected like that? Help for a newbie to lilacs?
Lilac bush
I have a very old lilac bush my mothers she got it from my grandmother well it has something on its trunk blueish green scales and dying what can I do to save it and the leaves are powdery
Lilac bush won't grow
I bought a lilac bush at a fair about 7 years ago. I
t was about 4 feet tall. My son planted in a sunny place that gets sun all day. It is healthy and gets very small blooms every year but looks like it hasn't grown an inch since it was planted. Our town is known for lilac's and they grow all over town. I don't understand why mine won't grow.
4 foot tall lilac
It’s possible it’s a miniature variety. Are leaves 3 inches or about 1 inch. If no longer than approx 1 inch. It’s a miniature variety
My lilac is not blooming and not growing like I think it should.
My lilac is about 5 years old and has never bloomed and although it has grown, not as it should have. I would say it is about 3 to 4 foot high for a 5 year old bush. I planted it where i had removed an above ground pool and was wondering if the sand that was used to level the pool on installation could be the reason. I don't see any sand, so it has worked it's way into the dirt. Any suggestions?
Yellowing leaves and sparse
I am trying to find out what is going on with my old fashion lilac. I started it from a sapling about 15 years. It has four off shoots that are probably 10 years old. This year the flowers again where huge and gorgeous. But I have now noticed the density of the leaves is really sparse they are yellowing with some brown spots. I don't know what to do.
Lilac leaves have brown spots
Just planted in spring but now leaves have brown spots - help
seedlings
I planted seedlings 3 yrs ago, some are 6' tall and some 3' tall, I haven't pruned them yet and haven't had any flowers yet, should I prune them back a little will that help?
Thank you
Frank
no flowers...
Are you fertilizing these plants? Too much nitrogen will favor leaf formation over flowers. Do not fertilize. They do like soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5, though. Do a soil test—even a simple one—and see if the pH is within the range.
Lilac bush
My lilac bush is tall and skinny. It looks super healthy and blooms beautifully but I don't know how to get it to bush out. All the lilacs I have ever seen get nice and round and full....Mine looks like a pole... what do I do?
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