Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12'

 

Flower Color

Lavender, Purple

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Cut Flowers, Hedge, Screen, Wind Break

 

Attracts Wildlife

Butterflies

Chinese Lilac is an upright, broad-spreading deciduous shrub with graceful arching branches that can gorw 10 to 12 feet tall and wide. Leaves are medium to dark green. Fragrant panicles of flowers appear in a profusion in May, and can be purple, white, or violet (depending on cultivar). Use in shrub or foundation borders, or as an informal hedge or screen. Attracts butterflies.

Grow in well drained soil in full sun. Tolerates a range of soil types, but best growth occurs in sandy-loam or clay-loam soils. Lilacs sometimes don't bloom, and it is usually because it was pruned too early or too late in the season, or it's getting too much nitrogen fertilizer. Lilacs bloom on old wood, so prune immediately after bloom, as buds for the following year begin to set practically as the flowers fade. For tips on pruning, see Guides.