The leaves may have gotten dessicated in the house (inside air is usually dry). Generally, you would want to slowly have it adapt to the sun and then go for it. Hopefully you get chance to plant it soon and when you do, water it in well. Sometimes it will show a little stress from the change of conditions but should grow out of it. Make sure that you try to separate the roots out so they don't continue to grow in a container-shaped ball.

Thanks, Jenny. Right now it's on my back porch picnic table acclimating to the great outdoors. It gets bright light and a little dappled sun.

Last year I plopped a lilac into the ground without worrying about teasing apart the roots, and it didn't do very well, especially when it started to get hot. Others where I did tease out the roots did fine.

You should be good to go then. It's great to buy babies and watch them grow to be huge! Good luck! :)

I love watching stuff grow. The one I had trouble with--several canes died back, but it's still alive and looks like it's doing well this year. Didn't bloom this year, but after the trouble it had last year, I didn't expect it to. All the others are at or a little below my knee yet.

I've planted James McFarlane, Old-Fashioned Lilac, Ellen Wilmott, Krasavitsa Muscvy, and Adelaide Dunbar. Tbe one hardening off is a Sensation, and I've an Evangeline on order.

I've had my James McFarlane for over 10 years (in a container even!) and love the pink blooms. Plus it is a later bloomer which is a bonus as a container plant. Also have a Miss Kim in a container and she has been trouble free. Nothing like the smell of lilacs in spring! :-D

I had to move my late pink, to be closer to the water hose, for 4 years it dried up in the summer without watering--the other lilacs don't mind being dry. this is the third spring for Sensation in my yard, but still no flowers. it better flower before I die!!! love those scents.

The James McFarlane is almost as high as my waist. When I bought it last year at Home Depot, it was flowering in its pot. Then it had trouble with the heat last summer, and it didn't bloom this year. All the others are just babies, up to my knee at best. They *might* bloom in 2009. Maybe.