How to grow Lilac

Syringa vulgaris · common lilac

Deciduous, suckering shrub from southeastern Europe grown for its very fragrant flower panicles in May. It reaches 3.5–5 m tall and does best where summers are cool and winters cold.

Quick facts

Type	Shrub
Family	Oleaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	6–7
Frost	tolerates light frost
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	—
Flowering	every 7 days	—	balanced (NPK), 10 days into the stage
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

At least six hours of direct sun a day; in too much shade it flowers poorly or not at all.

Soil

Well-drained soil rich in organic matter, pH 6.0–7.0; the roots rot where water cannot drain.

Care

Water right after planting and two or three times a week for the first month, then give about 2.5 cm of water a week. Do not feed in the first year; later feed only if a soil test shows a need, after flowering. Prune right after flowering, before next year's buds form, and remove faded blooms within a week. Remove root suckers and every one to three years cut about a third of the thickest stems at ground level.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.