ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Scentara ® two-fold Blue Lilac . Photo by : Proven Winners .
Lilacs are easy - to - grow , shrubs with fragrant purple blossom that flower in spring . They draw in hummingbird , butterflies , and other pollinator and make perfect cut flowers . When the right way cared for they can last decades in your garden .
2025 Flowering Shrub of the Year:
Scentara ® Double Blue Lilac .
On this page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Design Ideas|Frequently Asked Questions|Lilac Festivals
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page :
LILAC BASICS
Zones:
Most lilac are hardy in zone 3 - 8 ; however , there are motley cold hardy to zone 2 , likeScentara ® Double Blue(S. hyacinthiflora ) . There are also variety , like ' Lavender Lady ' ( S. vulgaris ) that are rut tolerant to zone 9 and do n’t require a winter chill . Most others do require a cold , sleeping period over winter .
Height/Spread:
The mutual lilac ( Syringa vulgaris ) grows 12 to 15 feet marvelous and 10 to 12 metrical unit wide . There are many smaller dwarf variety that maturate at 4 to 6 feet marvelous and 3 to 7 feet wide . Japanese Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree lilacs ( Syringa reticulata ) can reach 25 to 30 foot grandiloquent .
Exposure:
Lilac shrubs need a minimum of 6 hours full sun for skillful florescence .
Bloom Time:
Most peak in tardy May ; however there are former spring , mid natural spring , and late - season blooming variety , as well as new re - blooming varieties , like theBloomerang ® serial .
Color:
The vernacular lilac ( Syringa vulgaris ) has royal efflorescence , dark gray - green to blue - unripe foliage ( with no fall color change ) , and grey to grey-haired - brown barque . However , there are officially 7 colour of lilac peak : blanched , violet , blue , lavender , pink , magenta and purpleness with many shade within each color .
Other:
California lilac , mountain lilac and wild lilac are n’t unfeigned lilac , but actually belong to the genusCeanothus . Summer lilac is often used to consult tobutterfly pubic hair , especially those types that are sterile and non - trespassing .
PLANTING LILACS
When to plant:
Lilacs can be planted in former bound after the ground melt or in declivity before it immobilise .
Where to plant:
For healthy and fat plant life :
How to plant:
When establish container - get lilacs , prod a hole double as wide and just as mysterious as the container . Remove the plant life from the container and place it in the yap , spread out the roots . Back - fill with soil mixed withcompostand water well . clearly a 2- to 3 - infantry area around the base and apply a loose layer of mulch to the area , keep the mulch from touching the bark to foreclose worm borers .
Plant spacing:
Place lilacs 5 to 15 foot apart depending on the variety .
LILAC CARE
Photo by : J Gade / Shutterstock .
Pruning lilacs:
Lilacs bloom on previous wood and next give ’s flower bud are determine almost immediately after anthesis . Here are tips for trim yours right :
Soil:
Amendments & Fertilizer:
Lilacs wo n’t bloom well if over - fertilize . A little amount of 10 - 10 - 10 apply in late winter is sufficient . They do like rich soil , so lend compost if needed . Jerry Fritz , of Linden Hill Gardens , says that ash from the fireplace can be sprinkled on dirt around the base of the bush .
Watering:
urine regularly to establish a deep ascendant system . It is undecomposed to water them at dirt level and avert overhead lachrymation . Once established , lilac are piddle wise . Water weekly in dry status , more often in extreme heat . Too little H2O can leave in wilting or misshapen leaves .
Propagation:
seed can be sown in spring . germ taken from specific cultivar may not come true from seed . In early summer , shoots from the base of the trunk can be used to propagate ( not recommended for grafted variety ) . comprehend down at the home of the trunk and skip away the shoot , being sure to let in some radical .
Diseases and Pests:
Powdery mildewon the leaves can be a frequent problem in summer and can greatly affect the foliage ; however , it generally does n’t do any permanent trauma . blight , leaf spots , and wilt can also involve lilac , but cultivar such as theBloomerang ® serieshave been grow with exceptional disease resistance . blighter such asscale , borers , folio miners , andthripscan be a nuisance as well .
VARIETIES OF LILACS
Photo by : Proven Winners .
Scentara ® Double Blue — Buy now from Proven WinnersEarly - blossom lilac
Zones:2 - 8Exposure : Full sunHeight / Spread:6 to 8 feet grandiloquent and wideBloom time : SpringFlower colour : Purple - wild blue yonder
Highly fragrant and a clayey flub , this cultivar also has splendid disease resistance . Also tryScentara Pura ® .
2025 National Flowering Shrub of the yr
Bloomerang ® Dark Purple — Buy now from Proven WinnersReblooming lilac
Zones:3 - 7Exposure : Full sunHeight / Spread:4 to 5 pes tall and wideBloom clip : Spring and again in late summertime through fallFlower color : Dark purpleness
peak in outflow and again mid - summer through fall . dear powdery mold resistance . Compact variety suitable for containers . Others within the series : Purple , Dwarf Purple , and Dwarf Pink .
Baby Kim ® —Buy now from Proven Winners
Zones:3 - 8Exposure : Full sunHeight / Spread:2 to 3 understructure tall and wideBloom prison term : Mid to late springFlower color : Purple
An improved interpretation of the classic ' Miss Kim ' , this midget , compact lilac can be enjoyed in the smallest of spaces . And , it ’s dark purple flower do n’t languish to white .
picture by : Radim Beznoska / Alamy Stock Photo .
Syringa vulgarisCommon lilac
Zones:3 - 8Exposure : Full sunHeight / Spread : Up to 12 feet magniloquent and 10 feet wideBloom time : Mid - SpringFlower color : Purple
pic by : Maria Evseyeva / Shutterstock .
Syringa vulgaris‘Sensation’Common lilac
Zones:3 - 7Exposure : Full sunHeight / Spread:8 to 15 feet grandiloquent , 6 to 12 metrical foot wideBloom time : April to MayFlower color : Purple , white march single flowers
Photo by : Maxal Tamor / Shutterstock .
Syringa vulgaris‘Madame Lemoine’French lilac
Zones:3 - 8Exposure : Partial to full sunHeight / Spread : Up to 15 feet magniloquent , 12 feet wideBloom sentence : Spring to SummerFlower color : White
Photo by : Garden World Images , Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo .
Syringa vulgaris‘Wedgewood Blue’Common lilac
Zones:3 - 7Exposure : fond to full sunHeight / Spread:4 to 6 feet tall and wideBloom meter : Spring to SummerFlower color : Pink buds , blue bloom
picture by : Maknad / Shutterstock .
Syringa vulgaris‘Krasavitsa Moskvy ’ ( Beauty of Moscow)Common lilac
Zones:3 - 8Exposure : Partial to full sunHeight / Spread : Up to 10 feet tall , 8 feet wideBloom clock time : leap to SummerFlower people of color : Pink bud , pinkish - to - snowy flowers
pic by : Garden World Images Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo .
Syringa pubescenssubsp.patula‘Miss Kim’Manchurian lilac
Zones:4 - 8Exposure : Partial to full sunHeight / Spread:6 to 8 feet tall and wideBloom prison term : SpringFlower colour : thick purple buds , lavender flowers
Blooms in spring and re - blooms mid - summer through fall . dependable powdery mildew resistance . thick variety worthy for containers .
pic by : Ilona5555 / Shutterstock .
Syringa meyeri‘Palibin’Korean lilac
Zones:3 - 7Exposure : Partial to full sunHeight / Spread:4 to 6 base tall , 5 to 7 feet wideBloom sentence : Mid - MayFlower color : Pale lilac
Compact nanus variety .
Photo by : R Ann Kautzky / Alamy Stock Photo .
Syringa reticulata‘Ivory Silk’Japanese tree diagram lilac
Zones:3 - 7Exposure : Full sunHeight / Spread:20 to 15 feet tall , 15 to 20 feet wideBloom time : Spring to early on summerFlower colour : Creamy snowy
Effective as a individual specimen , along street and in lawns .
Photo by : Rock Giguere / Millette Photomedia
Syringa vulgaris‘Lavender Lady ’
Zones:3 - 9Exposure : fond to full sunHeight / Spread : To 12 feet tall , 6 feet wideBloom prison term : SpringFlower colour : Light purpleness
Selection for milder wintertime climates
LILAC DESIGN TIPS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why isn’t my lilac blooming?
If your lilac is getting too much water or plant food , or not enough sunshine , it may experience diminished blossom product . Also , if it was recently hard pruned , it may take a few seasons to get back to its full glory . Also , make certain that your yearly pruning is being done correctly and you are n’t cut off the “ old wood ” branches that produce the blossom .
Are lilacs poisonous?
They are not toxic to man or brute .
Are lilac roots invasive?
Their root do require blank space as they will spread out to about 1 - 1/2 times the width of the bush , but are not considered to be invasive .
