Why Lilacs?

Driving down country roads we see them blooming on old homesteads, with only a stand of iris for company. Maybe an old chimney marks the spot where a family lived and thought enough to plant a lilac.

Given the tenacity of this shrub the phenomenon is apparently not new. In 1854, Thoreau wrote, “Still grows the vivacious lilac a generation after the door and lintel and the sill are gone, unfolding its sweet-scented flowers each spring…sole survivor of the family”.

Lilacs are in that category of “Grandma Plants”, dear to our hearts for their old-fashion charm. The fragrance is part of many a grown-up child’s emotional memory.

Old lilacs like the common variety or the Persian lilac have the classic color flowers, these bushes reaching 8-12 feet at maturity. For this reason they make a wonderful-smelling hedge. But for some modern yards they can be too large.

That is probably the reason “Miss Kim” is the most popular lilac in America. Topping out at 5-6 feet Kim is better-behaved, without any sacrifice in bloom beauty. The prolific buds start out a dark purple then fade to a soft lavender-pink.

“James McFarlane” blooms two weeks later, extending the bloom time if you stagger planting of different varieties. White lilacs are just as fragrant but with a crisp contrast between foliage and flower.

Lilacs aren’t picky about location as long as their feet don’t stay wet. They have few pests or diseases to worry about. Fertilizing is welcome but not required.

The only trick to lilacs is pruning, and it’s not complicated. Next year’s buds actually form soon after this year’s flowers. Prune right after flowering to avoid losing future flowers. Prune off old flowers to prevent seed production, and gangly branches to improve structure.

One year our neighborhood park commissioner toured London, where he visited Hyde Park. Upon returning he ordered all our shrubs trimmed into tidy balls, including the lilacs. Boy was I hot. I dashed off a scathing letter with proper pruning instructions. Now four years later our lilacs are lovely and finally flowering once again.