Lilac Bush Growing Guide: New Varieties and Care Tips : A fragrant lilac bush is loved for numerous reasons. See modernised versions of this ageless classic and discover proper maintenance techniques.
The lilac bush was first mentioned in 1753, so it’s not unexpected that people find the fragrant blossoms to be dated. However, lilacs still have appeal today.
Lilac Bush Growing Guide: New Varieties and Care Tips
“The New York Botanical Garden’s Thain curator of woody plants, Melissa Finley, states that lilacs have been a favourite flower among Americans for generations, and they adorned the grand estates of the founding fathers.” “Lilacs evoke happy memories of mums, grandmothers, and aunts who raised these traditional shrubs for their magnificent scent for modern gardeners.”
Do Lilacs Prefer Full Sun or Shade?
- The common lilac is Syringa vulgaris.
- Zones 3–7
- Draws birds, bees, butterflies
- Full sunlight required.
- Size: 8-16 feet tall, 6-12 feet broad
- Grown for glorious spring blooms and pleasant smell
- Starting in Zone 2, Yankee Doodle can endure cold; Primrose has creamy yellow flowers with a characteristic lilac perfume; Bloomerang blooms twice in June.
For years, gardeners have appreciated common lilac, a low-maintenance shrub that blooms in late April. It likes most well-drained soils. This plant can grow in some shade, but its flowers look best in full sun.
Lilacs prefer neutral or slightly alkaline soil pH, so grow them in full sun and wet but well-draining soil. “A lilac in the right spot will require very little care to thrive,” Melissa explains.
Grow Lilacs for Their Fragrance
Ruth Wendt, garden committee chair at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, says lilacs are “midseason bloomers,” blooming in April to early June with pyramid-shaped clusters of small red, pink, blue, purple, yellow, and white flowers for two weeks. Lilacs’ enticing aroma attracts gardeners more than their gorgeous flowers.
Some types, like Scentara, smell stronger. Many will enjoy the inviting, abundant blossoms when they come. These blossoms’ aroma, shape, and colour attract wildlife. The garden becomes a buzzing nectar smorgasbord when lilacs attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.
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Look for Reblooming Lilac Varieties
To lengthen their gardens’ beautiful blossoms, lilac shrub aficionados often plant early-, mid-, and late-blooming kinds. New reblooming cultivars allow a second flowering on a single plant.
Josee, Colby’s Wishing Star, and Bloomerang bloom in spring and late summer or fall. Melissa adds successive blooms are “usually not as spectacular as the initial bloom,” especially in hot, sticky climates.
Proper Lilac Pruning Is Essential
“The most common home gardener mistake with lilacs is pruning in the wrong season,” Melissa says. Lilacs should be pruned three weeks after blossoms fade to avoid pruning new growth and preventing next spring’s blooms.
Rebloomers need little pruning. Melissa suggests deadheading spring blooms before they set seed for a better second flush.
Dwarf Lilac Cultivars
Dwarf lilac varieties allow classic flowers in limited places. These dwarf cultivars develop at 2–6 feet, unlike standard types that can reach 12 feet. Ruth says they’re ideal for patios and tiny places. More than size distinguishes dwarf lilacs. Ruth says dwarf lilacs smell peppery, not sweet.
Bloomerang Dark Purple blooms from July until frost with tiny dark purple flowers with a lovely aroma.
The award-winning Palibin, with its pale pink blossoms, is dense and grows up to 5 feet tall, making it a good hedge.
Wedgewood Blue grows 4–6 feet tall and has true blue flowers with lavender edging. Most importantly, it smells great.
Tinkerbelle blooms later and has beautiful, solitary pink blooms for four weeks. The 6-foot-tall shrub can be fashioned into a small tree.
Baby Kim, the tiniest dwarf cultivar, grows to 2–3 feet tall and bears small, fragrant dark purple flowers that won’t fade.
About the Experts
Melissa Finley : is the Thain curator of woody plants at New York Botanical Garden. She has a Master’s in plant pathology from Penn State.
Ruth Wendt : is a garden committee chair at the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, a National Historic Site located north of Portland, Oregon. A nonprofit volunteer organisation, the Hulda Klager Lilac Society, maintains the Gardens and historic structures.
