Do you want a plant that thrives in the South and resembles the lilacs that bloom in the north? The Texas Lilac Vitex is that particular plant. The task of the SuperStar horticulturists starts here. The Texas Superstar plant initiative is special in that Texas A&M horticulturists identify and enhance the distinctive qualities of already well-known plants to increase their marketability and desirability to gardeners.
Mexican lavender, lilac chaste tree, hemp tree, sage tree, monk’s pepper, Indian spice, or Vitex are other names for Texas Lilac Vitex. Although it originated in China and India, it has long since become naturalized in some parts of the United States. Records show that Vitex has been grown in the United States since 1670.
Vitex is the ideal remedy for a SuperStar, for those of you looking. Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Theophrast all cite the vitex agnus-castus as one of the ancient world’s recognized medicinal herbs. The widespread name “Monk’s Pepper” also alludes to the medieval notion that drinking potions derived from the berries helped monks uphold their chaste vows.
The optimal conditions for vitex growth are full sun and a position with good drainage. It thrives in both acidic and alkaline soil, and it may be grown everywhere in Texas. It thrives in warm, dry climates. Because of its durability, the Texas Department of Transportation plants Vitex in the medians of highways. It is a magnificent plant that attracts butterflies and is deer resistant in that deer won’t eat it, yet if it is allowed to grow to a very great size, they may harm it with their antlers.
Older varieties of Vitex featured tiny flower spikes that were light pink, off-white, lilac, or mauve in color. The majority of the flowers were little and ugly. Horticulturists have lately discovered and put to the test enhanced selections with spikes up to 8 to 12 inches long, like “Montrose Purple,” “LeCompte,” and “Shoal Creek.” These options will all be sold under the brand Texas Lilac Vitex.
These upgraded choices have bloom spikes that are not only big and gorgeous but also aromatic and give off long-lasting cut blooms. However, numerous aromatic black or dark-brown seeds are generated after the bloom spikes have given rise to several weeks of breathtaking splendor. These seeds not only stop an abundance of extra bloom spikes, but they may also, in some areas of the state, develop a seedling population that will not resemble the parent plant and end up being an annoyance.
After the first flowering, the spent bloom spikes should be swiftly trimmed off or deadheaded in order to encourage the shrub to bloom once more. This will solve the problem of seed production and the subsequent reduction of blooms. Why, then, haven’t people been doing it for the past 100 years if the solution is so straightforward? The Vitex’s rapid growth is the issue.
Many perennials are best used as annuals in Texas due to the favorable growth conditions there, whereas many shrubs or small trees are best used as perennials. The three extremely popular Texas SuperStarsfirebush, esperanza, and perennial hibiscus are examples of this. Every winter, perennial hibiscus and firebush wither to the ground throughout the majority of Texas. Every winter, Esperanza and the new Texas Lilac Vitex should be pruned down to the ground to keep the plant under control from season to season.
Plants will bloom again within six weeks of the removal of the seed pod or stalk, depending on the climate and cultural factors (fertilizer, water, region of the state, etc.). It is advisable to remove the seed pods before they solidify since the sooner the plant blooms again after the bloom petals fall, the better.
Plants should be cut to a few inches above the ground each winter in order to keep them in a suitable size range of six feet. If it is cut to the ground in the winter, it will regrow and blossom by June. Use a small chainsaw to trim the plant back if it became enormous during the previous growth season. Then, use hedge shears to deadhead the plant throughout the current growing season. Similar to the thinning of fruit crops to produce larger, high-quality fruit, cutting the plants back will make the spikes much longer but, of course, there will be less of them (at least with the initial cut-down). After spent blooms have been removed, three pounds of a slow-release lawn fertilizer formulation (19-5-9) per 100 square feet should be scattered around each plant to encourage quick re-blooming and longer flower spikes.
The ultimate nectar plant, buddleia or butterfly bush, has sparked renewed attention because to the butterfly frenzy. Unfortunately, most buddleias are unreliable perennials and perform poorly in the bulk of Texas’s landscapes. However, with the right care, the Texas Lilac Vitex could develop into the “buddleia of Texas.”
The new Texas Lilac Vitex is the plant for you whether you want to attempt some traditional herbal cures or want to use a drought-tolerant, pest-resistant plant to encourage the presence of butterflies in your backyard. Look it up!
Special Event: Are you interested in learning more about citrus farming in San Antonio? At the Schultze House Brown Bag Lunch program on Thursday, June 8 at noon in downtown HemisFair Park, 514 HemisFair Plaza, come say hello to Dr. Jerry Parsons. Enjoy exploring the cottage gardens as well.
Which month is ideal for lilac planting?
Lilac trees grow best in the fall, just after the leaves have fallen and before the ground freezes. Lilacs can be planted in the spring before the buds open. However, springtime is a relatively brief season, therefore transplanting at this time is only advised in regions with really harsh winters.
Can dogs be poisoned by Texas lilac?
Lilacs do not contain any chemicals that will poison animals or humans, nor do they irritate the skin. Even though chewing on lilac stems, leaves, and flowers has no health risks to dogs, it is still a good idea to prevent this from happening. A pet’s digestive tract may become disturbed if they consume too much roughage. Additionally, twigs and leaves can get caught in their throats. Additionally, dogs’ inability to digest large amounts of plant matter can result in nausea or diarrhea. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the Persian lilac (Melia azedarach) which is not related to true lilac, is poisonous to dogs.
Texas Superstar plants: what are they?
Plants from Texas Superstar
- Series by Angelonia.
- Beefy Begonias.
- Euphorbias known as baby’s breath
- Bluebonnets of Texas.
- Bluebonnets maroon in Texas.
- Royal Blue Bluebonnet of Lady Bird Johnson.
- Updated Celosia.
- bluish daze
Lilacs do they remain green all year?
Lilacs have the ability to survive some very harsh winters intact and provide joy to many people in the spring since they are exceptionally cold-resistant. They are tall, upright shrubs with heart-shaped green leaves and large, pointy clusters of fragrant lavender flowers. There are many varieties with white flowers. The maximum size of a plant is 15 feet tall and 12 feet broad.
Lilacs can thrive in little shade, but full sun is preferable for them. They favor well-drained, neutral soils. Every now and then, remove undesirable suckers and old trunks.
Uses: After their mid-spring bloom, lilacs are good accent plants but lack any unique characteristics. They can also be grown in a row to create a loose, colorful hedge.
Want more information? Try these:
- Garden shrubs. With these adaptable shrubs, you can define your space and highlight your favorite plants. They are arranged according to type and season.
- evergreen bushes Since they are evergreen, as their name implies, these plants may add color to many winter gardens, especially those in northern latitudes.
- varieties of shrubs In your yard, shrubs may help draw lines and define boundaries while also offering solitude and security. Review all of your options for shrubs here.
The length of the Texas lilac bloom.
a tall, deciduous shrub or small tree with distinctively complex palmate leaves. Several lavender flower spikes that bloom profusely in the early summer, then
Infrequently during the summer and fall. Vitex is resistant to insects, heat, and drought. Texas Lilac is our collective name for several suggested
cultivars including ‘Montrose Purple,’ ‘LeCompte,’ and ‘Shoal Creek,’ all of which are considered Texas Superstars.
How invasive is Texas lilac?
Vitex agnus-castus is a sprawling shrub with a height of 10–20 feet (3-6 meters) and a width of nearly the same.
The palmately compound leaves of Vitex agnus-castus have 5 to 7 lacelike leaflets and are 3–4 in (7.6–10 cm) in diameter. The aromatic foliage has a grey-green to dark green upper surface and a paler underside.
About 1 in. (2.5 cm) across, with five petals that are blunt at the tip and are grouped spirally, the flowers are blue, lavender, or white. It blossoms in the spring.
The fruits of Vitex agnus-castus are globose drupes. Each fruit includes four cells, each of which typically houses a seed.
In locations where it has been extensively planted in landscaping, such as Texas, Vitex agnus-castus is displaying invasive tendencies. It is currently discovered in dry creek beds and limestone outcrops all over Central Texas. (1) According to nurseries and gardeners, this plant may have a high potential for invasiveness. “Easy to grow in any soil; can take care of itself; endured six years of drought unattended; seldom ever disturbed by insect or disease; and tolerant to salt drift,” are some of these qualities. (2) It does produce fruitful seeds, which it disperses easily into the surroundings. In the southern United States, where the climate is warm enough for it to survive the winters, Vitex agnus-castus need to be classified as an EDRR (Early Detection & Rapid Response) species.
Do lilacs cost a lot?
This year’s winter delayed spring, and when it did, several plants that typically bloom over the course of a month all burst into bloom at once. On our farm, there was a riot of color from forsythia, apples, peaches, viburnums, flowering almond, daffodils, tulips, spirea, crabapples, and lilacs. A complex blend of scents filled the air, making it delightful.
Wedding work always benefits from having white lilacs like the one pictured above. This is a superb early, pure white single of the hyacinthiflora variety “Mt. Baker.”
A row of young lilac shrubs that I planted next to the pond in the fall of 2007 was one of the most beautiful views in this floral spectacular. In contrast to last year, when they were up to nine days apart, they were all in bloom at the same time. The contrast of the blooms’ colors highlighted the diversity of Syringa’s color palette. From pristine white to deep purple, with numerous colors of lavender and pink in between, my tiny collection of roughly 25 shrubs is diverse. One branch of each hue combined with the brilliant green snowball viburnum accents produced a stunning bouquet. I was prepared to double or quadruple my planting since I was so enamored with these blossoms. But first, I made a call to Brian Morley, my lilac mentor, who had given me advice when I planted my first shrubs. Brian has always loved lilacs and is quite informed about every facet of their taxonomy and cultivation. On his farm, he has roughly 60 bushes and several hundred seedlings that are the products of his hybridization studies. Additionally, he is the proprietor of Kansas City’s upscale florist Bergamot and Ivy. He is therefore familiar with both aspects of marketing and was able to share with me some of the techniques for cultivating and promoting lilacs.
First, according to Brian, both market demand and prices are excellent. The majority of the supply originates from Holland, where cultivators have spent 150 years mastering the technique of forcing lilacs out of season. Dutch lilacs are expensive due to the labor-intensive pushing procedure and the cost of shipping the bulky, woody stems. According to Brian, the price this year is $18–22 for a 10-stem bunch. A bouquet of domestic lilacs, also referred to as bush lilacs in the trade, costs between $12 and $15 and has roughly five stems and ten bloom clusters.” They move really quickly, and our supplier never throws them away! said Brian. “People in our area choose white, blush (‘Krasavitsa Moscovy’), and deep purple hues. Value and pricing are influenced by head size, and a more commonplace, traditional shade of purple or lavender would be slightly less appealing. Doubles are regarded as higher-grade flowers and, in my opinion, persist longer and shatter less.
Hybrid hyacinth named “Pocahontas” is a deep purple color. The color of this is not as blue as it appears online (monitors display colors differently). It is one of the first bloomers and a perfect complement to the background’s vivid green snowballs of Viburnum opulus Roseum.
So far, everything sounds pretty fine. Until I start looking at the list of lilac varieties and realize there are at least 1,500 identified cultivars and hybrids, I’m prepared to place my order for plants. The 1988 publication Lilacs: The Genus Syringa by Father John L. Fiala is the most reliable resource for information on lilac variants. The author suggests his preferred cultivars in each color category, illuminating every page with his enthusiasm for lilacs and lilac breeders. However, his obsession with lilacs is so intense that he has 90 white cultivars on his list. So I return to Brian for more menu ideas.
choosing the varieties He suggests selecting types with the aim of having the greatest variety of colors and the longest bloom time.
There are seven distinct color categories for lilacs: white, lavender, blue, violet, pink, magenta, and purple. Lane Greer and John Dole indicate that color preferences vary geographically and even within cities depending on the clientele a grower builds in their book Woody Cut Stems for Growers and Florists. For instance, one producer in Washington, D.C., is quoted as saying that whites sell best; nevertheless, another grower in the vicinity claims that anything other than white sells best for him. Given how common it is for weddings, Brian advises growing white hair without a doubt. But for the widest market feasible, cultivate pink, lavender, and dark purple as well.
Doubles are seen as having a higher value because they transport more efficiently and break less. The S. vulgaris cultivar “Nadezha” is the one in question.
Next, carefully select cultivars based on bloom time to ensure the longest harvest season feasible. A single plant may be in bloom for 16–20 days, from the colorful bud to the time the petals fall. Lilacs are among the bushes that bloom the longest as a result. The harvesting window is fairly little if you are growing them for cutting, and lilacs don’t store well. Choosing kinds that naturally bloom at various periods makes sense.
The hyacinthaflora hybrids, or Syringa x hyacinthiflora, are the earliest blooming lilacs. Then, a week to ten days later, come the varieties of S. vulgaris, the common lilac. The Preston hybrids follow the ordinary lilac by 10 to 2 weeks.
A spring day’s early morning light illuminates Syringa vulgaris ‘Maiden’s Blush,’ which glows. Three additional varieties’ plants can be seen in the background, providing some insight into the range of color options available in lilacs that bloom at the same time.
Requirements Most lilacs are planted predominantly from Zone 7 north since they need a cooling time to blossom successfully. They can be cultivated in Zone 2 since they are extremely robust and can withstand temperatures as low as 40 below zero. They are genuinely grown in practically every state, including California, and perform best in Zones 3, 4, and 5. Due to their lower chilling requirements, two species—S. meyeri and S. microphylla—can be grown in the South. Any lilac is preferable to none at all, despite their less impressive hues and scents compared to the types that farmers in the north can choose from.
Lilacs do not tolerate heavy clay soils and need well-drained soil. They favor a pH between 6 and 7. They need to be grown in direct sunlight. Some types can reach heights of 30 feet and widths of 10 feet, but a successful cut-lilac grower who harvests a significant portion of the plant each year won’t experience these growths. Lilacs need to be planted at a distance of around 5 feet apart to produce cut flowers. During the initial stage of establishing the plants, landscape cloth may be utilized, however after a few years the plants will outgrow their holes. The three main issues affecting lilacs are deer, borers, and bacterial blight. Irish Spring soap has worked well for Brian in keeping deer away from his plants. Branch wilting that occurs suddenly is a sign of borer infestation, which is widespread in the Midwest. To stop the borers from spreading, they must be severed right away and disposed of. The most serious and pervasive lilac issue is bacterial, or Pseudomonas blight. Select resilient varieties, and remove any affected branches with pruning.
Post-harvest and harvest Unfortunately, lilacs have a short-lived attractiveness. Most growers estimate that vase life lasts only five days. By trimming in the evening and using a hydrator and floral preservative, you can extend that by a few days. As is frequently advised for stems that are made of wood, stems should be cut at a sharp angle rather than being pounded. (Punching woody stems is never a good idea since the little fibers that are produced will degrade and clog the plant’s stem.) Remove any foliage from the stem. When placed in a bucket of deep water as opposed to just a few inches of water, lilacs hydrate better. Before using them, they can be kept in the cooler at 39-41F for three to four days. Recutting stems and changing the water every day will help the flowers last longer in arrangements. Local lilacs can be cut when one-third or more of the panicle is open, however Dutch lilacs must be dry and in tight buds in order to be sent.
financial outlook Lilacs are not a get-rich-quick scam, I’ve got to say after doing research on them. The time between planting and the first harvest will be at least four years. Annual trimming, weeding, fertilizer, and pest and disease inspections are all necessary for the plants. They usually bloom before most other flowers, including those in hoophouses, and their bloom time is unpredictable, as I saw this spring. They don’t store well, they can’t be picked until a very certain time, and they won’t last long in a vase. Despite all of that, lilacs have enough beauty and scent to make up for their drawbacks.