CyberSalad: Garden Pursuits: Shrubs: Lilac

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Syringa vulgaris

     Lilacs do not have attractive fruit, and their foliage, with few exceptions, does not turn an appealing color in fall; all they offer is flowers--magnificent ones. For many generations the only lilacs in most gardens were the briefly blooming tall bushes of the common purple species and its white-flowered variety. But beginning in 1876, breeding programs in France led to great improvements on the common lilac--many-petaled blossoms, large clusters and a wide range of colors. The welcome given these new varieties, know as French lilacs, encouraged plant breeders to hybridize lilacs from various parts of the world and also to introduce species from the Orient that have blooming seasons several weeks longer than that of the common lilacs. Today lilacs can be white, pink, yellow, or almost any shade of blue and purple. They bloom through much of the spring, and the bushes vary enormously in size: some types are 3 feet tall at maturity and others reach a height of 20 feet or more. The tall ones are attractive as large plants standing by themselves and serve as excellent shrubs for windbreaks and screens; plants of intermediate size make delightful informal hedges and are the mainstay of many shrub borders; low-growing types are useful in low informal hedges and are often planted near a house.
     Common lilacs grow in Zones 3-7. No lilacs grow in Florida or along the Gulf Coast. All lilacs do best in full sun, but they will tolerate very light shade. The best soil is one close to neutral, with a pH of 7.0; it should be supplemented with peat moss or leaf mold. For hedges, plant lilacs 2 to 4 feet apart, depending on the ultimate height of the plant.
     To have blossoms every year, cut out old flower heads as soon as the blossoms fade. This is also the time to thin out the weak main stems arising from the soil and to take out very old stems that are no longer blossoming freely. The goal should be to have stems of all ages coming along, younger ones to produce strong new growth, older ones to bear flowers. Overgrown lilacs can be cut to within 4-inches of the ground. In three or four years they will make fine free-flowering shrubs again. Lilacs can be propagated easily by digging up and replanting underground branches, or suckers, from around the edge of plants produing them. New plants can also be propagated from softwood cuttings of young growth in late spring or early summer, from semi-hardwood cuttings of more mature growth in mid-or late summer, or from hardwood cuttings or dormant leafless growth in late fall or early winter.

	Common Lilac, The old-fashioned lilac. Large showy clusters of pink to purplish-blue flowers, wonderful fragrance, blooming in June, ideal for hedging.
	'Josee', Pretty pink lilac lover's dream come true. It will bloom in profusion each spring, then flowers again every 6 to 8 weeks until October, as long as you remove spent blossoms. Hardy from Zones 2 to 8, this dwarf lilac reaches only 4-1/2 feet high, making it easy to prune and versatile to use in landscaping plans.
	'Wonderblue', has an entrancing color and petite size. At just 5 feet high, this lovely lilac is perfect for the smaller garden and produces fragrant, sky blue blossoms from mid-season. Only 5 ft high, so it's easy to prune! Lovely color and fragrance. Hardy in zones 3 to 7.
	'Miss Kim', (Syringa patula) is a 4 foot dwarf lilac that extends the season of fragrance for weeks, blooming in June, after most lilacs are done. Its compact growth becomes covered with pinkish blue buds, which open to lavender. Zones 4-9.

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Site launched January 1, 2000.
Site updated September 1, 2007.