Did you know that the National Gardening Bureau has designated 2022 as the “Year of the Lilac”? They have a sweet, eerie aroma and are among the easiest shrubs for your landscaping to maintain that bloom in the spring. Find out how to plant, nurture, and prune your lilacs.
About Lilacs
Syringa vulgaris, or common lilac, is prized for its tenacity, dependability, and scent. Lilacs are so hardy that they can live for more than 100 years and frequently outlive the houses they were planted near.
This tiny, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub (or tree) has approximately ten canes and blooms at eye level. The height of a common lilac can range from 8 to 12 feet, depending on the cultivar. The aromatic flowers attract butterflies and make good cuttings.
There are lilac types that come in white, cream, and even pink and yellow, though the blooms are typically lilac/purple in hue (ranging from very pale to extremely dark). Flowers can be solitary or double in number.
Lilacs bloom in northern states from mid- to late spring for around two weeks. However, there are lilac varieties for early, mid, and late seasons that, when cultivated together, guarantee a consistent bloom for at least six weeks.
Lilacs do best in soil that is fertile, humus-rich, well-drained, and neutral to alkaline (at a pH near 7.0). Add compost to your soil to improve it if it is in bad condition. (Learn more about adding amendments to the soil and getting it ready for planting.) Lilacs don’t enjoy having their feet wet and won’t blossom if they are kept too moist, so make sure the planting area drains well.
Lilacs should be planted in full sun, which is defined as having at least six hours of sunlight each day, for the finest blooms.
How to Plant Lilacs
- If you’re fortunate, a friend may offer you a sucker, or offshoot, of the plant’s root system. The sucker will first appear pitiful, but all you need to do is dig a hole, fill it with soil, and then insert the sucker. water next, and then wait. You’ll be rewarded with enormous, fragrant blossoms in 4 or 5 years.
- Lilacs purchased from nurseries can also be planted easily. If the plant was cultivated in a container, spread its roots out as you plant it; if it was balled or burlapped, gently remove the covering and any rope before doing so. Set the plant 2 to 3 inches deeper than it was while it was growing in the nursery and cover the roots with topsoil. in water Then add more topsoil to the hole to finish it.
- Depending on the kind, place multiple lilac bushes 5 to 15 feet apart.
- Apply a layer of compost under the plant each spring, followed by a layer of mulch to keep moisture in and weeds under control.
- If the weekly rainfall is less than 1 inch, water during the summer.
- If lilacs receive too much fertiliser, they won’t bloom. In the late winter, they can manage a few 10-10-10, but no more.
- Spread some lime and thoroughly composted manure around the base of your lilac bush once it has finished blooming. Remove suckers while you form the shrub by trimming it.
Pruning Lilacs
- Since lilacs blossom on old wood, it’s important to prune in the spring immediately following their bloom. You risk removing the wood if you prune later in the summer. A word of advice: It’s time to prune if your lilac flower clusters are getting smaller!
- After bloom each year, cut away any dead wood. Remove the oldest canes by pruning (down to the ground). Take out the tiny suckers. Reduce weak branches until a robust shoot remains. Reduce tall canes to eye level.
- Remove one-third of the oldest canes (down to the ground) in year one, half of the remaining old wood in year two, and the remainder in year three if your lilac is very old and in poor condition. Cutting the entire plant back to a height of approximately 6 or 8 inches is another option for elderly lilacs. Although it sounds dramatic, lilacs are remarkably resilient. This option’s drawback is that it takes some time for the hair to grow back. The lilac will grow back bursting with blooms, so there will be less work and more reward.
- It is important to understand that extreme trimming causes bloom loss for one to three years. For these reasons, a smart pruning programme gives the bushes yearly attention in an effort to avoid making dramatic and severe cuts.
The Syringa vulgaris kind of lilacs is the most widely grown and fragrant:
- Try the double magneta variety “Charles Joly” for an early bloom.
- Lilacs in the middle of the season include “Monge,” a deep reddish purple, and “Firmament,” a delicate blue.
- Miss Canada, a reddish pink, and Donald Wyman, a solitary purple, are two late-season beauties.
Syringa x hyacinthiflora, an early-flowering lilac cultivar, opens 7 to 19 days before those of the common lilac. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to its fragrant blossoms.
The cutleaf lilac, a fragrant pale lavender, is one of the common lilacs that may flourish as far south as Zone 9. Common lilacs appreciate cold weather. The beautiful shrub Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’ has light lilac-blue flowers that eventually become white.
There are tiny kinds for gardeners who simply don’t have the space for the conventional larger lilacs, particularly those in urban settings. Even in a container on your balcony or patio, they will grow.
- ‘Baby Kim’ has a lovely rounded shape, only grows 2 to 3 feet high (and 3 feet wide), and has purple flowers that draw butterflies. Hardiness from Zones 3 to 8 extended.
- Compact lilac ‘Little Lady’ (Syringa x) has dark pink buds that open to lilac-pink flowers and grows to be 4 to 5 feet tall and wide at maturity. Zones 2 to 7 are tough.
- Syringa vulgaris cultivars “New Age Lavender” and “New Age White” were developed for mildew resistance and are quite compact, growing from 4 to 5 feet tall and wide. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to their fragrant blossoms. Zone 4 hardy.
How often does a lilac flower bloom each year?
The late lilac is the leading contender for a long-lasting lilac that will bloom profusely throughout the warmer months of the year (Syringa villosa). As its name suggests, it blooms later than other types and produces fragrant white, pink, rosy lilac, violet, and even crimson blossoms. This lilac bush only has one summer bloom and enjoys direct sunlight.
Consider a reblooming lilac for your garden if you want consistent flowers. Lilacs that rebloom will first bloom in the spring, then rest until summertime when they will blossom once more. After their spring rest, certain types, such as the Bloomerang dark purple, will continue to bloom until the fall. Look for the Josee reblooming lilac (Syringa Josee), which intermittently flowers throughout the summer and into the fall, if you live in a warmer climate.
The lilacs are blossoming in September 2021, but why?
MINNEAPOLIS, October 7, 2019 (WCCO). WCCO viewers are witnessing flowers that don’t often blossom in the fall, despite the fact that it is autumn.
Jodie brought in a picture of lilacs blooming in New Prague, and Bill put in a picture of them in Circle Pines. Therefore, people are curious as to why plants are flowering in October. A good query.
Julie Ackerman noticed one of her lilac shrubs outside of her Circle Pines house was in bloom about a week ago.
Ackerman remarked, “It was the first time we had come here in 18 years. “I guessed they might have believed it to be spring once more.
Julie Weisenhorn, an associate extension professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Horticulture, received the image from WCCO. Although some lilac bushes do bloom again in the late summer, she claimed that these blooms are more likely the result of Minnesota’s recent weather patterns.
Weisenhorn claimed that the varying temperature was what caused the plants to bloom. “We’ve had higher temperatures, but we’ve also had cool temps.
She claimed to have observed azaleas blooming in the fall, but not lilacs. The plants that blossom in the spring establish their buds a few weeks after the flowering period. Typically, the weather causes them to bloom a year later.
According to Weisenhorn, it is actually a hormonal reaction to the temperature and light of the environment. Weisenhorn speculates that the blooms may have mistaken the fall for spring due to the cooler late summer and warmer September.
Ackerman questioned whether a recent treatment for the lawn could have caused the fall blossoms. Theresa Rooney, a Hennepin County Extension Master Gardener, contends that this is most likely not the case.
“The environmental stress is more likely,” Rooney added. Rooney said that since every plant is unique, it makes sense that only one plant in a row of several might blossom. Some people are weaker or more stressed than others.
Weisenhorn said there’s a chance more plants could grow in the area as Minnesota’s weather patterns continue to shift.
She said, “We could.
Since so many variables are shifting and fluctuating, we can’t say for sure. However, she advises people not to be alarmed if their lilacs bloom in the autumn. The plant will be fine even if they most likely won’t rebloom that spring.
On WCCO 4 News at 10 and WCCO Mid-Morning, Heather Brown enjoys using her inquisitiveness to help you with your Good Questions.
Which month blooms the lilacs in Maine?
Every year, we receive calls from customers who are disappointed that their lilacs only sparingly or never blossomed, despite the fact that there were lovely lilacs blossoming all over the county, including on vacant lots and yards that appear to have never been maintained. The following is a list of the most frequent causes of lilac failure to bloom:
Shadow: When lilacs don’t bloom effectively, excessive shade is most likely to blame. Full daylight, or at least a half-day of sunlight, is ideal for lilac blooming. Less will result in fewer flowers emerging. Lilacs seldom ever bloom at all when they are in an area that receives shade all day. As the adjacent shade trees get higher and fuller over time, the shade can occasionally creep up on you. In many circumstances, the lilacs may have been first planted in an unfavourable spot.
Pruning: Lilacs may take a number of years to start blooming again if you severely prune them. They should ultimately bloom, but it might take three to four years, or even longer. You might not see many blossoms the following year if you merely lightly prune and wait until mid- to late-summer to do it. This is due to the fact that shortly after the plant finishes blooming, the flower buds for the following year are set. Therefore, if you do decide to prune, make sure to do it as soon as the spring flowers start to fade. You might at the very least want to get rid of the ugly brown flower/seed clusters.
Lilacs don’t consume a lot of nutrients, therefore they don’t require fertiliser to blossom. People frequently feed young plants multiple times each spring and summer in an effort to aid in their establishment. Additionally, there is typically some fertilised grass nearby. The lilac makes a lot of green, vegetative growth as a result of the excess of nutrients, notably nitrogen, which may interfere with the creation of flower buds. Stop fertilising if this seems to be the case, provided the plant is receiving enough sunlight and hasn’t been cut excessively or at the wrong time. It should eventually start to flourish well.
Moisture: Lilacs thrive in soil that drains properly. While a lack of flowers isn’t directly related to a damp, poorly drained soil, it is related to plants that have root rots or don’t do well in general. If at all feasible, move a young lilac from a low-lying, wet spot to a more suitable one.
The general public is invited to visit the enormous lilac collection in the Lyle Littlefield Garden on the University of Maine’s Orono campus at any time of the year. Larks begin to bloom in early June. Rhododendron, magnolia, and crabapple cultivars are also included in the Littlefield garden.
Lyle E. Littlefield, a professor of horticulture and extension specialist at the time, founded it in the early 1960s. The Littlefield Garden has acquired a collection of more than 2,500 woody and herbaceous plants over the past forty years. Plan to visit the Littlefield Garden if you happen to be in the Orono region. On the Orono campus, it is next to the Hilltop dormitory complex.
Why are lilacs so prevalent in Maine?
Lilacs give off the scent of spring. They don’t bloom first, but in Maine, they do so right as it starts to get warm enough to wear shorts and shirts with short sleeves. The scent of the plants is very enticing when you walk by them. Lilacs originate from places other than Maine.
Lilacs give off the scent of spring. They don’t bloom first, but in Maine, they do so right as it starts to get warm enough to wear shorts and shirts with short sleeves.
Additional Photos
According to Kristin Perry of the McLaughlin Garden in South Paris, lilacs are not native to Maine; instead, they came from eastern Europe and are known as French lilacs because that is where they underwent their initial hybridization.
However, lilacs surround the cellar openings of abandoned farms all around Maine; as a result, they were long embraced by Mainers and are now an integral part of the family.
Lilacs are way too fleeting, but you may prolong the bloom period from mid-May to July by growing various types.
Pocahontas, a variety of the common lilac that comes in hues ranging from white to blue, will bloom a few weeks earlier than Syringa vulgaris.
The Preston lilacs, including James McFarlane, bloom one week after the common lilac “Minuet and “Donald Wyman” appeared a week later, roughly at the same time as “Miss Kim,” a well-known Korean lilac, according to Perry.
While lilacs are prized for their aroma, according to Eric Welzel, proprietor of Fox Hill Lilac Nursery in Brunswick, different lilacs have distinct scents to different people.
“There will be comments like, “Doesn’t this smell lovely,” and then there will be comments like, “I don’t smell anything at all,” he added. The response will be the exact opposite on a different lilac, though.
Lilacs are simple to maintain, according to Perry and Welzel, which is one of the reasons why they are still flourishing in abandoned farmhouses.
To blossom successfully, they require six hours of sunlight each day, though the plants may tolerate less. They prefer well-drained, neutral soil because they don’t like their roots to become wet. The likelihood of disease will be reduced by good air circulation.
“Young lilacs have trouble trying to establish themselves in thick clay soils, according to Welzel, even if they may grow out into clay. In order for the plant to establish itself, you need dig a sizable hole and fill it with quality topsoil and compost if you do have clay.
Allen, Sterling and Lothrop in Falmouth deliver Fox Hill’s proprietary Lilac Food to nurseries all around the state. It is a slow-release 8-20-16 composition that has been enhanced with lime and seaweed meal.
Lilacs should definitely be pruned early in the spring, according to Welzel, but doing so will decrease the bloom for that season. However, the period just after blossom time is a close second.
According to him, it is advisable to leave part of the suckers that are sprouting up from the ground because lilacs bloom on new wood. It is important to prune correctly at ground level. Cutting the stems halfway results in water spouts that resemble candelabras.
If you let the bark grow, lilacs have extremely lovely bark, she noted.
It becomes curled and twisted.
Lilacs do require some maintenance in the middle of the summer and watering if there is a protracted dry period. Deadheading is an option if you don’t like how the seed heads appear, but it’s not necessary for the plant’s health.
There are some novel lilac varieties that could spice up your collection. Welzel enjoys “Wedgwood, a striking blue, and “a lovely later-flowering white developed by the University of New Hampshire called “Margaret Smith
Welzel enjoys some new lilacs that are becoming widely accessible to the general public, such as “Declaration, a deep reddish-purple variety from the American National Arboretum; “Franks Fancy,” a deep purple variety from renowned rhododendron breeder Weston Nursery; “Mechta,” a lovely purple variety from the same breeder as “Beauty of Moscow; and “Lilac Sunday,” a variety from the Arnold Arboretum.
Welzel stated, “I’m trying to get the truly dark-dark cultivar called ‘Rajah’ back into the public’s hands.
It was another another Weston Nurseries introduction that had wandered off course and was on the verge of extinction. To help recover this extinct cultivar, Deb McCown from Wisconsin’s Knight Hollow Nursery and I are cooperating.
Welzel is not a big fan of “Bloomerang, a brand-new lilac marketed as a repeat bloomer. Although it does have some late-season flowers, according to him, there aren’t many of them.
Nearly all of Fox Hill’s lilacs are offered for mail order purchase bare root. It is too late to purchase them now because the majority are sold in the spring before the plants’ leaves emerge. Additionally, he ships some in the autumn after a frost.
Since 2004 Tom Atwell has been contributing to the Maine Gardener. He writes for a living and gardens in Cape Elizabeth. You may reach him at: