Double French Lilac Planting Times
The common lilac, also known as French lilac, has thousands of varieties. Syringa vulgaris is widely available at garden centers and nurseries and makes a dependable, often highly fragrant addition to the home landscape. A large array of colors is available, including white, blue, pink, magenta and, of course, various shades of lilac. Many disease-resistant French varieties produce spectacular double blooms in spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Features
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Lilacs are a deciduous shrub that grows between 8 and 15 feet, depending upon the cultivar. The shrubs are thick, ranging from 6 to 12 feet wide. Often leggy, the branches tend to grow upright and straight. The leaves are heart-shaped and dark green. Lilacs make eye-catching specimen plantings, or set them out in rows for a colorful, fragrant hedge. Try planting a lilac on either side of your home's entry or near a patio to enjoy the rich fragrance the moment you step outdoors.
Varieties
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Named for the Frenchman who hybridized more than 200 varieties of lilacs, Victor Lemoine is a fragrant double French cultivar. The abundant flowers are classic lilac color. Victor Lemoine grows 10 to 12 feet tall. Krasavitsa Moskvy forms pink buds that open into white flowers with four sets of petals. The plant grows 12 feet high and 8 feet wide. If you want a lilac that virtually covers itself completely in blooms, try Leon Gambetta, a 12-foot-tall double French lilac variety that features pink flowers and heavenly fragrance. Charles Joly is a smaller lilac, growing only 10 feet tall. This variety produces deep magenta flowers and is resistant to the mildew that plagues other lilacs. Nadeshda, a Russian-bred French lilac, produces bright blue flowers. At 10 to 12 feet tall, Nadeshda makes a good hedge with a mild fragrance that is not overpowering. Adelaide Dunbar, another mildew-resistant variety, grows 10 to 12 feet and produces highly fragrant purple flowers in spring. When planted in the fall, most French lilacs flower well their first spring, but spring-planted lilacs may not reach their full flowering potential until their second season.
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Planting Times
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Double French lilacs grow best in United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 to 7. The plants are not tolerant of the hotter climate of the Deep South. Plant container-grown lilacs in either the early spring or the fall, depending upon the climate in your area. If a harsh winter is expected, wait until spring to plant the lilacs. Otherwise, a fall planting gives the plants time to become established before winter sets in. Lilacs can survive temperatures well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant field-dug lilacs in the spring as soon as buds appear on the bush. Starting lilacs from seed is more difficult. The seeds require warm stratification for one month, then cold stratification for three weeks. Sow the seeds in a cold frame in March and transplant seedlings to individual pots when they are big enough. If the seedlings grow vigorously, you can plant them outdoors in the summer.
Culture
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Plant lilacs in well-drained soil where the plants will receive at least six hours of sunlight daily. Test the soil pH and adjust, if necessary, to a range of 6.5 to 7. Do not overwater the plants, especially in winter, when wet roots can freeze and die. Plant lilacs 10 to 15 feet apart. If you want the lilacs to grow together into a flowering hedge, plant them only 5 to 8 feet apart. Prune the shrubs as soon as they finish blooming to encourage vigorous flowers the following spring.
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References
- Iowa State University Extension; Lilacs for Iowa Gardens; Cindy Haynes; 1999
- North Carolina State University: Syringa Vulgaris
- Fine Gardening; Lilacs: Time for a Fresh Look; Jack Alexander
- University of New Hampshire Extension: Growing Lilacs; Deborah Jones, et al.; May 2000
- Old Fashioned Living; Lilacs in the Spring; Brenda Hyde
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
