Care of Lilacs Lilacs are an easy to grow plant. They need at least 6 hours of sun a day to bloom well, and prefer sun all day long in the hottest spot in your garden. They are tolerant of a range of soil types. Deadheading directly after they bloom will stimulate better flowering the following year. If you don’t deadhead, they only blossom extravagantly every second year. To keep the bush tidy trim out old branches and suckers from ground level. The bush propagates primarily through ground suckers and can become a wide shrub if not maintained yearly. To prevent powdery mildew you must increase air circulation through the plant. Prune out some of the older stems in the middle of the shrub after it has finished blooming to open it up. Why Doesn’t My Lilac Bloom? 1. Some varieties need to mature before they bloom. - Some early bloomers include ‘Maiden’s Blush’ (pink) and ‘Lavender Lady’ (lavender). 2. The wrong fertilizer is being used—too much nitrogen. - When the lilac is young, a balanced fertilizer like 12‐12‐12 works well - As it matures, use more phosphorus, such as a 5‐10‐5 - Lilacs prefer a ‘limey’ soil, unlike most of our acidic‐loving broad leaf evergreens on the west coast. Use a granular lime like Dolopril to neutralize the soil. 3. Improper pruning. - Begin pruning when lilac reaches its desired height. - Prune right after blooming is done. - If you wait too long to prune, you will prune off the developing buds which are the blooms for the next year. - Remove all flowers plus 10‐15 inches of stem - 1/3 of the oldest stems should be cut to the ground periodically 4. Not enough sun. - Lilacs need at least 6 hours of sun a day, but they would prefer to be in full, hot sun as long as possible. Name Bloom Colour Single Height or and Double Width Plant Characteristics The flowers are remarkably Pink, pearl‐like abundant and have a long 10‐12’ x Beauty of Moscow buds open to Double
blooming period. As the 6‐7’ white flowers mature the fragrance becomes stronger. Belle de Nancy Rosy florets Double 10’ x 10’
Delicious scent on nicely opening to bright pink Bloomerang Purple Single California Rose Clear Light Pink Single Charles Joly Magenta/ Wine‐red Double
Charm Lilac Pink Single Crystal White White Single Josee Lavender Single laciniata (Cutleaf Lilac) Pale Lavender Single Maiden’s Blush Candy Pink Single Marie Frances Pink Double
Miss Kim Purple buds open to icy‐
blue flowers Single Mme. Lemoine Snow white Double
Monge Purple Single Montaigne Pink Double
Palibin Reddish‐
Single formed flowers. Heavy bloomer, cheerful pink flowers. Bloomerang blooms in spring and then again throughout the 4‐6' x 4‐
summer. It does go through a 6' rest period in the heat of the summer. Tight growing lilac with 8’ x 8’ delicate pink flowers. Long lasting flowers that are 8‐10’ x excellent for cutting on this 8’ heritage lilac. Great fragrance. Large single lilac‐pink flowers 8‐10' x cover the branches of this 6‐8' compact plant. 8‐10’ x Pure white flowers appear in 6‐8’ mid‐spring. Highly fragrant. Beautiful purple flowers that 4‐6’ x 4‐
bloom in both summer and 6’ fall. Upright, arching form 5‐8’ x combined with finely cut 5‐8’ leaves and a profusion of fragrant pale lavender flowers. Developed in Canada, this lilac is exceptionally hardy. An early 8’ x 8’ season bloomer, It is covered in large clusters of flowers. 4‐8’ x 4‐
Fragrant pink single flowers. 8’ A heavy late season bloomer 9‐10’ with a delightfully spicy Tall fragrance. Extremely fragrant, dependable old French lilac. 10’ x 10’ Much loved for its masses of creamy white flowers produced later in the season. 6‐12’ x Beautiful purple flowers that 6‐12’ make great cut flowers. Beautiful, double pink flowers 8‐10’ x appear in mid‐Spring. Great for 8‐10’ hedging. 4‐5’ x 4‐ A low, compact lilac, which (Dwarf Korean Lilac) purple buds opening to pale lilac 5’ President Grevy Soft lilac‐blue Double
Primrose Creamy yellow turning to Double
white Rothomagensis (Chinese Lilac) Reddish Purple Single Sara Sands Deep‐red purple, Single rimmed lighter
Scent & Sensibility Pink Pink Single Sensation Purple blooms Single edged in white
Wedgewood Blue Lilac‐pink buds opening to Single blue blooms at an early age. Extremely hardy, it has a lovely habit of re‐blooming in late summer or early fall. An old time favourite that is as close to a blue lilac that you 10‐12’ x can find. Wonderfully scented 8’ with well‐formed, immense blooms on a durable shrub. Very gentle creamy yellow 12’ x 8’ bloom, but as plant ages the blooms get more yellow. 12‐16’ Produces enormous amounts Tall of fragrant blooms. A relatively late bloomer, producing single, dark wine‐
8‐10’ x purple flowers. Fragrance is 10‐12’ stunning, and it is a very prolific bloomer. This lilac will re‐bloom from 2‐3’ x 4‐ spring until Fall. It will stop 6’ blooming in the heat of summer. Fragrant panicles of rich purple 9’ x 9’ with each petal trimmed in white. Excellent mildew resistance on this delicately lovely lilac. A 6’ x 6‐8’
neat, semi‐dwarf plant with a single true‐blue flower in May.