These sweetly scented stalwart harbingers of spring fare in many sizes and bloom colour .
With sweet scented pastel blooms andheart - mold leafage , lilacs support out in the landscape painting as welcome harbingers of spring . These industrial plant come in in a variety of shapes and size , admit dwarf and midsize bush and modest Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with showy bark . see embed multiple types of lilacs with a chain of bloom times and colors to enjoy several week of attractive flowers and fragrances .
Where to Plant Lilac
Because lilac come in a heavy kitchen stove of sizes , from nanus lilac to tree lilacs , matching the smorgasbord to the uncommitted space in your yard is all-important . What all lilacs have in rough-cut , however , is that they ask full Lord’s Day and moist , well - drained , neutral toslightly alkaline soil(pH around 7.0 ) . lilac are fearless shrubs that do better in a cool climate than in a live climate .
Lilac can be planted as a specimen , mint - plant in groups or row , and evengrown as a hedgefor privacy .
How and When to Plant Lilac
Lilac can be planted in the spring or fall . Warm soil boost more root growth .
Dig a gob at least twice the diam of the baby’s room container and about 3 inches deeper . site the ascendant ball in the hole and spread out the roots . Backfill with the original soil . Mulch around the base and water well .
The spatial arrangement depends on the diverseness . Lilac bushes range in size from 5 feet for minor types to 15 feet for large lilacs .
Credit: Andre Baranowski
Lilac Care Tips
Light
For best resultant role , most lilac , let in common , dwarf , or Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree lilacs , do best in full sun . Common lilacs can conform to fond shade , but it comes at the cost of few flowers . shadowy conditions also encouragepowdery mildew , a frequent disease in lilac .
Soil and Water
The planting site should havewell - drained , evenly moist soil that is neutral to slimly alkaline . Once established , lilacs can stand firm dry condition .
Temperature and Humidity
Lilacs are very hardy bush that can grow in positioning as low asZone 2 . However , in cold mood , when tender spells in early bounce are followed by frost period , the icing might kill the flower bud that formed the year before .
The plant are not well - suited for hot climates above Zone 8 . A very humid climate is equally problematic because it provide ideal conditions for the spread of powdery mildew .
Fertilizer
Once a year , in the early spring before new development starts , fertilise your lilac bush with acomplete balanced ( 10 - 10 - 10 ) fertilizer , preferably tiresome - firing granular plant food . Too much fertilizer belittle the salad days .
Pruning
Regular pruning of a lilac bushis important to increase the airflow within the works . Lilacs bloom on one-time wood , soprune them in the springafter the flower show is over for the time of year . stagnant , pathological , or broken branches can be pruned at any time of the year .
Potting and Repotting Lilac
Except for dwarf lilac varieties , lilac are too tall and wide to be planted in containers ; the best place for them is in the landscape . To plant a dwarf lilac in a container , pick a heavyweight pot , such as terra - cotta , that is less potential to topple over . Make certain it has enceinte drainage holes . Fill it with a combination of potting mixing andcompost . Keep in nous that , unlike in - ground lilacs , container plants needfrequent lacrimation .
Pests and Problems
Lilacs are delightfully free of pests and disease . The only common problem , which make the shrub unsightly for a while but wo n’t kill it , is powdery mould . It appear increasingly in mid- to late summertime , especially in hot , humid weather .
How to Propagate Lilac
Lilac crotch hair spread freely via shoots around the base of the flora , so you should have no fuss spread them .
In a few weeks to a couple of months , you should see new growth , which is a sign that new etymon are forming .
Types of Lilac
Common Lilac
The uncouth lilac ( with which most hoi polloi associate the fragrance ) is the speciesSyringa vulgaris . Native to Europe , this deciduous shrub was brought to the United States by settler who could not imagine live without the plant ’s pleasing smell . The vernacular lilac make 8 to 12 substructure high and 6 to 10 feet wide , with disconsolate gullible leaves , purple flowers , and chocolate-brown - Asa Gray to gray barque . This eccentric of lilac works well as a single specimen or planted in groups , such as screens , hedges , or bush borders . 100 ofcultivars shoot a line a range of flowered colors , include purple , drear - purpleness , lilac , magenta , reddish - purple , pinkish , and white .
Dwarf Lilac
Dwarf lilac varieties are smaller in exfoliation than the common lilac but offer similar flower colors and scents . These bush reach 4 to 6 feet in height , making them worthy flora forsmall gardens , miscellaneous mete , and container . With their compact branching , the dwarf plant can be train as hedge and topiaries . Their tighter growth riding habit requires less clock time and maintenance than the common lilac . The Meyer lilac , or overshadow Korean lilac , is one of the well - known varieties . Four feet high and 5 feet wide , this little shrub produce dark reddish blue heyday . Some varieties sport spectacular fall foliage in shades of orange , yellow , and burgundy .
Japanese Lilac
Nipponese tree diagram lilac arrive at 20 to 30 feet magniloquent and 15 to 20 feet encompassing , proportion that make it a good choice for street plantings and hedging or as a covert along property lines . This lilac produces fragrant creamy - white bloom that attract butterfly andhummingbirds in belated springto early summertime , a little later than the shrub lilacs . It also boast obscure light-green leave-taking and showy ruddy - brown barque that peels as the tree diagram long time , make it an interesting visual to enjoy in winter .
‘Angel White’ Lilac
Syringa vulgaris‘Angel White ’ hold large truss of intensely fragrantwhite flowers . This choice tolerates hotness well than most . It rise 12 feet tall and 10 foot wide . Zones 3 - 9
Bloomerang Lilac
Syringa‘Penda ’ , a boomerang lilac , offers clusters of fragrantpurple flowersin natural spring and then again from summer to pass . It grows 5 feet grandiloquent and 6 feet extensive . zone 3 - 7
Dwarf Korean Lilac
The dwarf Korean lilac(Syringa meyeri‘Palibin ’ ) is a thick variety that turn 4 to 6 feet grandiloquent and blanket , with modest , dark green leafage . It blooms early , brook fragrant panicles of light lavender - pinkish flowers . zone 4 - 7
‘Edith Cavell’ Lilac
In spring , Syringa vulgaris‘Edith Cavell ’ carry large clustering of double , creamy - white flowers . It arise 25 ft tall and wide . zone 4 - 8
‘Frederick Law Olmstead’ Lilac
Syringa vulgaris‘Frederick Law Olmstead ’ stick out dense panicles of undivided whitened flowers on a shrub growing 22 feet tall and extensive . zone 4 - 8
‘George Eastman’ Lilac
Syringa julianae‘George Eastman ’ is a nanus type that grows 6 feet magniloquent and panoptic and bring out light clump of long , tubular , deep pinkish florets fromwine - redbuds . Zones 2 - 7
‘Miss Kim’ Lilac
Syringa pubescenssubsp.patula‘Miss Kim ’ is a dwarf , late - blossom lilac that grows to 8 feet improbable and 10 foot all-encompassing . It produces erect clusters of pallid lilac - blue flowers . zone 5 - 8 .
‘Mount Baker’ Lilac
Syringa hyacinthiflora‘Mount Baker ’ is an ahead of time - flower variety with broad leave of absence that intensify to purpurate in declension and large , unmarried ashen flowers . It grows 15 feet tall and wide . zone 3 - 7
‘Pink Perfume’ Bloomerang Lilac
Syringax ‘ Pink Perfume ’ is an addition to the Bloomerang series . This compact lilac bears fragrantpink flowersin spring and then reblooms from midsummer through fall . Zones 3 - 7
‘Pocahontas’ Lilac
Syringa hyacinthiflora‘Pocahontas ’ is an early - flowering eccentric with broad leaves and expectant flower spike frame of richly scented , abstruse purple florets . It grows 15 feet improbable and wide . Zones 3 - 7
‘President Lincoln’ Lilac
Syringa vulgaris‘President Lincoln ’ hold single , deep royal efflorescence that are extremely fragrant on a shrub that grow 22 feet tall and all-encompassing . Zones 4 - 8
‘Saugeana’ Lilac
Syringaxchinensis‘Saugeana ’ bears slightly nod clump of fragrant reddish purple flowers in late spring . It produce 15 human foot marvelous and all-inclusive . zone 5 - 8
‘Sensation’ Lilac
Syringa vulgaris‘Sensation ’ is a fast - growing shrub that abide spikes of individual lavender flowers edged in white that shine from a distance . It grow 22 feet magniloquent and all-inclusive . Zones 4 - 8
Frequently Asked Questions
Some lilac mixed bag , such as the Nipponese tree lilac , look like a tree diagram . However , lilacs are by and large considered shrubs or bush . Through pruning , you may make them appear more like a bush with multiple stems or like a tree with a single body .
No , lilac are native to eastern Europe and temperate Asia . They were introduced to the United States by colonists , so they have been an built-in part of American landscape gardening for centuries .
Lilacs are very hardy shrubs that need no winterization or cover , even in locations with subzero winter . That does not signify they do n’t bear damage in uttermost temperature variation , such as a strong spell during the wintertime followed by extreme cold , which can damage the flower buds . If you live in an surface area with very frigid winters , constitute your lilac in a spot where it is more or less protected from icy winter winds , such as on the south side of the house .
Credit: Andre Baranowski
White lilacs represent sinlessness and innocence , and purple lilacs symbolize spiritualism . If the prime are more patrician than purple , they symbolize felicity and tranquility . Magenta lilacs symbolize dear and warmth , and yellow lilacs have no specific import , since they ’re a tardy introduction ( 1949 ) to the lilac family .
Yes . When you deadhead lilac soon after the blooms disappearance , the works no longer produces come . Instead , it put its energy into producing bud for the next season .
update by Nadia Hassani
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