Be sure to take the time to understand the different varieties and hybrids before buying one. Also, Spring before last I planted an old french one called 'Belle de Nancy' that I got from walmart. All Gardenista storiesfrom garden tours and expert advice to hand tools and furniture roundups. We pack them carefully to ensure they arrive safely. Letting go when a new owner dares to change a beloved house's look can be downright difficult. I've never heard of these being repeat bloomers, I don't know if it was just a freak occurrence or if read more this is normal. Lets be honest; who doesnt like the memory-invoking smell of lilac, so its presence in any form is always most welcome. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. i'm in Bakersfield (Southern California), and i'm looking forward to getting Blue Skies (Wayside). Feedback welcome!! You can add them to a fragrance garden, thanks to their sweet aroma. So, it is possible to flower lilacs in the deep south. My dad replanted 1/2 of the lilac shrubs outside my bedroom window. They are featured at the Decanso Gardens in La Caada, CA. it bloomed this year & seems to be doing quite well. I miss Lilacs so much!! I've included a link to a posting on the Florida Forum with easy posting instructions. Their average temperatures ranges are higher than Citrus County and they receive a great deal less rain. Hi Cindeea, your welcome and what a cool story! Ceanothus, while lovely, is no lilac. I'm really hoping to get more fragrance out of it. I can't wait until they bloom again this year, they're absolutely covered in little purple buds! Plant shrubs 15 feet apart in an airy location with full sun and well-drained soil. Any help is appreciated. Has anyone had any experience with this. Most of our much loved vegetables for the home gar, Hailing from New Zealand and Australia and a membe, Every gardener knows the importance of healthy soi, Author Emily Murphy encourages us all to plant wit, Beyond its native East Asian range, Japanese honey, 11 Garden Ideas to Steal from Martha Stewart, Cortaderia selloana Pumila pampas grass, BloomStartToEnd : Mid Spring Late Spring. Full sun is certainly the most desirable state, although it will tolerate some shade, but the ideal amount of sun is at least six hours a day. It pays to remember that the most beautiful gardens have a wide range of planting through many layers from the neck achingly tall to the toe brushingly small with much in-between. Plan your trip with our destination guides to our favorite public gardens, hotels, restaurants, and shops. I'm glad it worked for you. Smelled wonderful! tall. I always go ga-ga over them when I am in California. Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future! Shortly after that we had an early heatwave, unfortunately the foliage was still tender so it burned pretty badly, we lost almost all of the leaves. Every state has their own unique USDA restrictions on which plants they allow to come into their state. They are doing very well, and I had fragrant blooms from the second year! Just moved to Austin/Spicewood TX and want to plant lilacs- would appreciate any success stories, types that will do well here. These lilac varieties only tolerate temperatures down to 20 degrees so I am bringing all of them down to Englewood Florida with me for the winter, where we have a home. Enjoy big, beautiful blooms year after year. I was born and raised in Romania where lilacs grow like weeds on the road side and I miss them greatly.I received them potted in 4" nursery pots and I transplanted them immediately. An added bonus? Starting from scratch or upgrading an outdoor space? Normally I have heavy acid clay, but the lilac is in a bed that the previous owner had filled with purchased soil, so I don't know the pH.K. It's my understanding that one can induce dormancy in warm winter climates by withholding water for a short period in the winter, and when the lilacs come out of dormancy, they will be better able to produce blooms. I am really hoping for next year though. Don't mean to intrude but I saw your question about posting photos. I have a number of other lilacs I'm testing, among them four Blue Skies - none of which show any sign of flowering yet. Most lilacs require too many chill hours for even zone 7ers, and the hotter the summers, the more chill hours needed. No way to get a sucker or seedling. Clicking through to the retailer that sells the product may earn us a commission. You could have planted one of course, but no one particularly likes brown, shriveled plants in their gardens, so lilacs were always admired from a distance by those who enjoyed warmer winters. 12 - 16 feet
For areas with particularly shallow soil look to hardy succulents, alpine plants which will grow in gravely areas and rock crevices and drought tolerant native plants. But be careful not to overwater them, as soggy soil could cause late or poor blooms and root rot. Tonight will be 16! BUT he planted them on the edges, nowhere near the house or windows. Start with a depth of 3" for most planting areas and top up every year or two. i would love to see what you decided to plant. They do smell good. At the very least I would expect them to be awfully unhappy. Note my zone. Got a lot of bare space to fill in the landscape? I. too have been wondering why they are able to successfully flower Lilacs in southern California, in Los Angeles County, where apparently they get less chill hours tha we do here in Citrus County, Florida, about 90 miles north of Tampa. Has this ever happened to you? That 'Lavender Lady' mentioned is one of the Descanso Hybrids developed in Southern California zone 9 for warm climates. Meet our editorial team, see our book, and get the inside scoop on upcoming Gardenista events. That sure will be a huge disappointment if so. 
Perhaps those of you in Orlando may try filtered light or part shade. A stunning sight in any setting, Lavender Lady is ideal for a front yard specimen, fragrant allee, or other position of honor! 8 - 12 feet
I am in the Dallas area, which has highly variable winters (and sometimes highly variable summers). Any more stories about lilacs in hot Southern California? My e-mail is ritaandrichie@att.net Wayne Walker has also graciously agreed to send me a list of the Lilacs grown at Descanso but said it may take a couple of weeks to get one together.I bought a Miss Kim in the spring of 2009 and it has flushed out with new foliage and has many flower panicles that are expanding and will open in the next couplee of weeks.Richard. Last year I consistently gave it water during the summer and it bloomed abundantly. My tree is so tiny - maybe 2-3 feet tall. 
If they don't work well.. Any ideas from local zone 10 inhabitants? The plants look great but they don't include a variety name so we don't know if it's worth a try or not. I planted a Blue Skies last fall, and it looks great. They are only slightly fragrant. Pocahontas seems to be one of the best.Richard. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment. It won't have the traditional common lilac fragrance. When choosing a position for your new addition it is important to take into consideration the wants, needs and desires of Lavender Lady as this will ensure the best possible display of flowers. It was hybridized in Monrovia Nurseries (CA)and is guaranteed to grown in "the south". If you're interested in a durable plant with a longer blooming season, the Miss Kim Lilac or the Bloomerang Purple Lilac may be just what you're after. I tried two varieties from Select Plus International nurseries (the web addy is below). Most are nicely fragrant, for me overwhelmingly the reason to grow lilacs at all because I'm a sucker for fragrance. :( But I did find that when they opened up more they had a wonderful fragrance that you could smell just walking by the flowerbed. Too much direct sun, especially in the afternoon, would dry out and bake the plant's leaves in this climate. The Ultimate Guide to Planting, Growing, and Caring for Lilacs, Deciduous Perennial Shrub in the Oleaceae Family. All rights reserved. I really thought it would have to grow more before blooming, so I was thrilled. A position that allows good air movement is recommended as this can help protect against powdery mildew, so try to avoid overcrowding. Miss Kim will do well in full sun with an alkaline soil. Because of this, BdN gave up and severely declined after her bloom, while LL thrived. It bloomed for the first time this spring, about 5 clusters. 2022 Gardens Alive, Inc. All rights reserved. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. Prune hard after flowering to encourage vigorous growth. The blooms were beautiful though not incredibly fragrant, one was a light lavender with a lot of blooms, the other ended up more of a royal purple with smaller clusters. And their sweet fragrance is certainly a welcome reminder to stop and smell the flowers! The problem with taller plants that close to the deck, especially woody ones: (1) you are limited to very few narrow plants (unless you want to encroach more of the lawn by making the beds wider), (2) taller plants touching the deck can create mildew on the deck and mildew can occur on the plants from the deck blocking air circulation, (3) taller plants will block any deck maintenance that needs to be done: wood repairs, washing, staining, etc. 
It also smells heavenly and makes great bouquets from June through October, which a once blooming lilac most certainly won't. And if we cant get it from anywhere, of course, well send a refund! I had to move one of the lilacs this winter, so I doubt that one will bloom this year, it's just set leaf buds. It's been right at a year since the last post, but I found a website that lists these as good for zones 8 and 9: Anabel, Lavender Lady, Sierra Snow, Pocahontas, Dark Night, Mary Short, and Laurentian. I think all my lilacs are going to bloom this spring. If you love flowering plants, these are a must-have. Choose between traditional lavender and striking white Lilac flowers! Your resource for finding the best storage and home organization solutions for every room in the house. Lots of transplanted MidWesterners & Northerners here and we all miss our lilacs and peonies. Wayside has a lilac in their catalog which they say does not need the chilling required by most lilacs and that it does well in the South. I need to figure out what to plant in the space by the house that is mostly shady. 
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Both mother and I loved them. I would love to see a photo of your Blue Skies. If cold temperatures are forecast, protect your plants from freezing. We try very hard to source exactly what youd like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! SOURCEBOOK FOR CONSIDERED LIVINGThe definitive guide to stylish outdoor spaces, with garden tours, hardscape help, plant primers, and daily design news. Miss Kim's blooming period starts with deep pink to purple blooms that mature to icy blue and then to a burgundy in the fall, giving you color the entire season. And better yet, the second flush was even more fragrant and bountiful than the first! this is normal. You'll find we carry young 1-gallons, up to more mature 7-gallons ranging anywhere from 6 inches to 6ft. Last summer was cooler than average due to lots of rain. Apart from these varieties, there are also other great options, including hybrids, like Lavender Lady Miss Canada, California Rose Blue Boy Charles Joly, Angel White etc. For now they are doing awesome, both very healthy and full of leaves, about 10 inches tall (planted 2 weeks ago)I'll keep you posted, I live in Florida, 90 miles N of Tampa, on the boundary of Zones 8B-9A. My Mom told him that was dumb. We select and ship only the finest quality bulbs, plants, and trees. 12 to 15 feet high and 15 feet wide, this Lilac needs its space in the garden! By the way, coming from California myself, I can tell anybody interested that ceanothus are no substitute in appearance (the inappropriate name makes them seem wholly inadequate instead of the wonderful native shrubs they are) or fragrance; and the acid soils and humidity here are probably guaranteed to kill them even if the soil is amended. In short, I completely recommend Lavender Lady to anyone in southern zone 8 and cooler. i am in NC just north of charlotte & was given a lilac tree by my MIL from her old yard in NY,last year. Leeflea. Pruning your Lilac Tree helps to promote flowering and ensure air circulation - just be sure to prune after the blooming season is over. As I was getting over my fever, my mom came in and opened my bedroom window to let in some fresh air. Big flowering trees can take many years to reach the size you were hoping for, but Lavender Lady grows in just a few years to 10-12' tall. More plants in more sizes than anywhere else whether youre looking for classics or rarities; annuals, perennials or shrubs; one plant or a whole yardful! They are doing marvelously. Again I thought it was a goner. Hi, 1.5 years later I stumbled across this thread. It would also be worth testing in Z8 and Z9 in the southeastern US. Maybe I should lime the plant to try to raise the pH. Since moving to the "cooler" part of Florida (the Pensacola area (NW Florida panhandle,zone 8b)in 1993, I have tried several varieties that have all failed until three years ago when I saw the variety "Blue Skies" advertised in Wayside Gardens online. Prides Corner Farms. We've gotta protect good ole' Mother Nature, after all. The important thing is that it is planted in a spot that receives some morning sun, and then for the rest of the day is shaded except for a sliver of time between 1-2:00 where it receives full sun. BTW, it arrived beautifully packed (of course from Wayside) and was about a foot tall. Yikes, do you mean 3 single, tiny flowers?? Thank you for posting it! It is now about 3 ft tall if that means anything. Potted plants may be kept for a short time outdoors in a sheltered, but bright location. Some Lilacs seem reluctant to bloom but that will never be the case with 'Lavender Lady'. If you love Lilacs but have never been able to get them to flourish in your climate, this is the variety for you! I now realize I didn't give her a proper site. No blooms last year, but I really wasn't expecting any since I had read that it takes a few seasons to establish itself and get blooms. They are supposed to grow in zones 4-7 but, as I said, I couldn't resist. SOURCEBOOK FOR THE CONSIDERED HOMEThe one-stop sourcebook for the considered home, guiding readers artfully through the remodeling and design process. You choose. No one commented on potting these up, any thoughts? How much these factors affected this plant I don't really know. The Lilac is famous for its striking flower clusters and heavenly fragrance. My plants were in really nice shape and knee high. I will try to keep them in partial shade. I bought a lilac collection from wayside 3 years ago, they were tiny. A book you might find to be helpful is Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemwnway which covers each of the main aspects of establishing a thriving ecosystem within a garden. I have a lilac given to me over 15 years ago and it has thrived in our blast furnace heat and tropical humidity. I just picked up two Miss Kim plants at Lowe's In full bloom, lovely fragrant and healthy looking plants. I have been told by a number of people, with experience, S. vulgaris is the Lilac to grow in the southzone 7-8. I was searching for lilac information for Florida and came across this thread. Lilac Trees put on a dramatic display in spring, turning any landscape into a beautiful flowering garden. They are supposed to require less chill time than other lilacs. One spring my father (THE GARDENER!) Even better? The latter typically look good right away (so theyre a great choice where thats important), but we typically pay a premium for it. It is a fair sized shrub that needs room to grow and this is something you will not regret giving to it. Thanks! Supposedly, the species Lilac can take the warmer climate. You can google other forgiving plants. Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater, N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed.