April Shrub of the Month-Lilac

Growing up, we had an old-fashioned lilac bush along our chain-link fence. It was over 8′ tall with a vase-like shape and branches that arched over the fence into our neighbor Mary’s yard. She would come out when it was in bloom and exclaim to my mother how incredible the scent was until my mother, taking the hint, cut a few stems and shared them with her.  

It’s one of the best things about plants. They can bring people together over shared beauty or fragrance and stir memories either by sight or scent. Fragrant lilacs come in all sizes these days. The old-fashioned lilac my mother planted (Syringa vulgaris) can grow 15′ or more, while some newer cultivars like BLOOMERANG (Syringa ‘Penda’) will only reach 3-4′.

Full sun is best for the most proficient blooms, but they will tolerate part-shade. Lilacs aren’t picky about soil as long as it’s well-drained.

Although textbook lilac color is medium lavender, they also come in shades of pink or white. Do not sacrifice fragrance for color. It would be a shame to see a lilac in full bloom without the accompanying scent, as some white-blooming cultivars lack.

What I love about this plant;

-Everything about the blooms- the color, the shape, and the scent!

-Now comes in more compact, powdery mildew-resistant, and reblooming cultivars.

-Deer resistant.

What’s not so great;

-Powdery mildew plagues lilacs in the summer. Good air circulation can help. Skip the fungicide and try one of the disease-resistant varieties like TINKERBELLE (Syringa ‘Bailbelle’), the Meyer lilacs like ‘Palibin,’ or ‘Miss Kim’ (Syringa pubescens subsp. Patula’ Miss Kim’)

-It is also prone to blights, leaf spots, wilts, ring spot virus, and honey fungus. Pests include scales, borers, leaf miners, thrips, and caterpillars.

-If you are the proud plant parent of a standard lilac tree, (NOT to be confused with the Tree Lilac, Syringa reticulata June Tree of the Month-Japanese tree lilac (garden-lou.com) make sure you remove any suckers that form at the base. Also, trim for shape right after the flowers fade. If you wait too late in the season to prune, you will most likely trim off the flower buds, and the plant will fail to bloom in spring.

Comments or questions? Email Garden-Lou at gardenloustl@gmail.com

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com-2024, All rights reserved.