These sweetly scented hardy harbingers of spring come in many sizes and flower colors.
With sweetly scented pastel blooms andheart-shaped leaves, lilacs stand out in the landscape as welcome harbingers of spring.
Lilacs are hardy shrubs that do better in a cooler than hot climate.
Credit: Andre Baranowski
Dig a holeat least twice the diameter of the nursery container and about 3 inches deeper.
Place the root ball in the hole and spread out the roots.
Backfill with the original soil.
Credit: Andre Baranowski
Mulch around the base and water well.
Common lilacs can adapt to part shade, but it comes at the price of fewer flowers.
Shady conditions also encouragepowdery mildew, a frequent disease in lilacs.
Once established, lilacs can withstand dry conditions.
Temperature and Humidity
Lilacs are very hardy shrubs that can grow in locations as low asZone 2.
The plants are not well-suited for hot climates above Zone 8.
Credit: Jerry Pavia
A very humid climate is equally problematic because it provides ideal conditions for the spread of powdery mildew.
Too much fertilizer diminishes the bloom.
Pruning
Regular pruning of a lilac bush is important to increase the airflow within the plants.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Lilacs bloom on old wood, soprune them in the springafter the flower show is over for the season.
Dead, diseased, or broken branches can be pruned any time of the year.
see to it it has large drainage holes.
Credit: Alise O’Brien
Fill it with a combination of potting mix and compost.
Keep in mind that, unlike in-ground lilacs, container plants needfrequent watering.
Pests and Problems
Lilacs are delightfully free of pests and diseases.
Credit: Todd Dacquisto
It appears increasingly in mid- to late summer, especially in hot, humid weather.
With their compact branching, the dwarf plants can be trained as hedges and topiaries.
Their tighter growth habit requires less time and maintenance than the common lilac.
Credit: Bill Stites
The Meyer lilac, or dwarf Korean lilac, is one of the better-known varieties.
Four feet high and 5 feet wide, this little shrub produces dark violet flowers.
Some varieties boast spectacular fall foliage in shades of orange, yellow, and burgundy.
Credit: Jerry Pavia
‘Angel White’ Lilac
Syringa vulgaris’Angel White' bears large trusses of strongly fragrantwhite flowers.
This selection tolerates heat better than most.
It grows 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
Credit: Justin Hancock
It grows 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide.
It blooms early, bearing fragrant panicles of light lavender-pink flowers.
It grows 25 feet tall and wide.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
It grows 15 feet tall and wide.
This compact lilac bears fragrantpink flowersin spring then reblooms from midsummer through fall.
It grows 15 feet tall and wide.
Credit: Jerry Pavia
It grows 15 feet tall and wide.
It grows 22 feet tall and wide.
However, lilacs are generally considered shrubs or bushes.
Credit: Jerry Pavia
No, lilacs are native to eastern Europe and temperate Asia.
Lilacs are very hardy shrubs that need no winterization or covering, even in locations with subzero winters.
White lilacs represent purity and innocence, and purple lilacs symbolize spirituality.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
If the blooms are more blue than purple, they symbolize happiness and tranquility.
