I had one for about 5 years that lingered but didn't do much. Then I moved it up the hill a little because I heard they like to be "high and dry". Since then it has done much better and this year is loaded with blooms. The bush is never as full and lush as those you see farther north. This may partly be due to the part-shade situation. They don't like our summer heat so I put it where it would be shaded from the late afternoon. Farther north they can put it in full sun where it will bloom much more profusely. I don't know about up there, but down here they seem to take several years to get established. While not as stunning as those grown up north, I still appreciate mine for the lovely blooms and scent. -Ais.

What variety do you have Ais?

Syringa vulgaris doesn't grow here like it does up north, like Ais said. I've seen bushes here in very well-drained soil in full sun that are basically 4-5' sticks with some flowers on top. Syringa meyeri (doesn't have hallmark lilac fragrance), Syringa microphylla, Syringa patula, Syringa laciniata, S. oblata and S x persica are all supposed to be good to grow in zones 7 and 8. Witherspoon Roses in Durham had a gorgeous lilac that Mr. Witherspoon himself planted. I asked them if I could get a cutting (I really did ask first :), which rooted and is about 18" high now. All they knew is that it wasn't S. patula "Miss Kim", and it wasn't S. vulgaris. I couldn't tell you about the fragrance because I was too busy ogling at its beauty. My guess is that it's S. oblata.

There are also some heat tolerant S. vulgaris hybrids out there that would be worth trying.

I have a Lavender lady lilac-Syringa vulgaris in zone 7b near Charlotte. I bought it last year from Pikes. It never flowered last year but this year is loaded with blooms. Its beautiful. I'll try to take a picture for you later. I don't have one now since it never bloomed before. I think in 2 more weeks it will be even more beautiful. It's in acidic soil, heavily composted, right next to the house under a window and faces South.

I don't know the variety of mine, but I would assume it's vulgaris. The leaves seem narrower than typical and the flowers are pale purple. The foliage and flowers are attractive, just not nearly as full and lush as the ones grown in cooler areas. I think the afternoon shade is helpful in this heat even though it keeps them from being as floriferous. They definately don't like being overly wet and I never have to supplement watering, though you probably would if you had it in full sun. I think good drainage must be important. The foliage looks fine all summer with the afternoon shade, at least for me. -Ais.

I have one, but don't know the variety. It was just planted last spring during a little bloom. It was in too hot a location in the summer, so I moved it from the south side to the east side last fall. I actually thought it was dead, but it's still 3 feet high and flourishing. It got full sun in the winter and will get sun until about 1:00 in the summer. It is currently totally laden with buds on every branch. This will be the first season of blooms.

It got a special tent and pinned covering all during the frost. It looks great. It is planted with the crown a few inches about the soil, but it's downhill from my soaker hoses, so it doesn't have one of it's own. The roots get irrigation, but the crown doesn't. I planted it the way I did the daphne odora.

With all the flowers out there lilacs are still my favs! They need to be pruned every year when young, also the seed heads every year. Do it as soon as they've bloomed. I feed mine lime every couple years too as they're not crazy about our acid soil. They bloom on old wood. Don't fertilize with a high nitrogen or all you'll get is green growth. They like 6 hours of sun, but appreciate some afternoon shade.

If one has gotten leggy you can cut it back to 6-8 inches and it'll throw new sprouts or do the 1/3 method each year. The 'grafted' hybrids don't work that way so you need to know what kind of lilac you have.

Here's the International Lilac Site..
http://lilacs.freeservers.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning lilacs

There is a gorgeous white flowered Lilac, Syringa 'Betsy Ross', currently blooming in the White Garden at the J C Raulston Arboretum here in Raleigh. There are also a couple of Syringa oblata that appear to be doing well (I have not visited there since last weekend's "big freeze"). Altogether the Arboretum has about a dozen different cultivars of Lilacs including S. hyacinthiflora, S. lanciniata, S. oblata, S. reticulata, S. vulgaris and several hybrids . I will try to evaluate how each is doing and let you know what I learn.

I looked up Betsy Ross because it sounds like something I'd like to try next to my house. Its parentage is an unknown lilac x S. oblata. How is the fragrance?

Here some information from: http://www.syringaplus.com/care.htm

Do Not Over-water Lilacs.
(That what I did!)

For you to obtain the best results with Lilacs, you should consider the following:

1. Lilacs do best in FULL SUN.
   (mine in almost full sun, get just a little late day sun)
2. They do not like wet feet.
   Plant in a well drained soil.
   (my soil don't drain)
3. They like a sweet soil. pH 6.0 - 7.0.
   (I may add a little lime)

Here is a link that might be useful: Lilac Care:

deborahz7,

I have a Lavender lady lilac-Syringa vulgaris also.
Mine had flowers when planted in the fall.
Had flowers the next spring and last spring and had some good sent.This the third spring only 2 bushes have one flower each and not sure if I can smell anything.Five bushes have had leaves for a few week now and the flowers came about the same time. Mine were maybe 10 to 12 inches tall when planted. I am trying to build a long solid wall with these bushes. How big were your when you planted them?

Your in acidic soil? I was going to add lime to mine to make mine solid less acid? Here what rootdiggernc posted, I feed mine lime every couple years too as they're not crazy about our acid soil. Are you sure that your is in acid soil?

Please post a picture as soon as it is in full flower.

ralphw ,

It be nice to see pictures of the lilacs blooming at the J C Raulston Arboretum and all about there growing conditions.

(mine in almost full sun, get just a little late day sun)
should have been---
(mine in almost full sun, get just a little late day shade)

Where are the pictures of zone 7 lilac in flower?
You all said you would post some.

Lavender Lady is actually a hybrid of S. vulgaris and S. oblata. S. vulgaris and S. oblata hybrids are called Syringa x hyacinthiflora and were developed to bloom in California because they have low chill requirements.

I have seen more lilacs blooming in peoples yards this year than any in the past. I assume they are all some form of S. vulgaris. I have some white S. vulgaris in pots that I intend to plant around the yard as a test. They do well at my parents place in Oklahoma (where I dug them) and it is way hotter there and the first half of the year is just as humid. Back home you see them surviving at old abandoned homesites long after the house is gone. So they are tough and adaptable.

There is a cluster of S. oblata at the Raulston Arb. in at least two colors (I remember lavendar/lilac and white). They look, bloom and smell just like the ones up north only not as tall. I have tried for years to find one to buy and failed. I have also begged the arboretum staff to propagate these guys to offer to the public and so far it hasn't happened. I may be reduced to begging cuttings and trying them on my own.

Basil davis, here are two pictures of Miss Kim in my garden. She should have double the number of blooms but about half were frozen back in the cold snap we had a couple of weeks ago.

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Beautiful pictures nckvilledudes.

S. syringa can grow here of course, but it's one of those marginal things, like white pine. Oklahoma has 2 things lilacs really like: cold winters and less acidic soil than we have here. And it's usually the second half of our muggy summers that melt down plants that aren't very heat tolerant.

nckvilledudes,

Thanks for the great picture of your lilac that are growing in my area. Do you have any pictures from distance? Since I live so near you, I should be able to get mine to do good.
I have just saw one other lilac(not counting mine) near Kerenersville this spring and it was growing good but without flowers.

How long ago did you plant the lilac?

Basil

Basil, here are two picture from different perspectives. The plant sits in shade in the morning but then gets full afternoon sun which can make its leaves turn sort of crunchy but late summer/early fall but it has been in place for ~6 years.

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deborahz7,
I like to see the pictures you took of your lilac this year.

wonbyherwits ,
Did your lilac look good and did you get pictures?

nckvilledudes,
Thank for more nice pictures. Did the lilac have very much sent this year? Did you make the bird bath that in that picture?

Basil, yes the lilacs blooms are very much scented and always have been. Yes, the birdbath is a hypertufa casting of a leaf from the garden and I made it two or three years ago!

Hi Basil, I'm sorry I never got around to getting a photo of the lilac. I started about 300 seedlings indoors this year and another 200 outside using winter sowing and have been inundated with taking care of all them. I feel like I have 2 full time jobs.

My lilac is now done blooming. I can tell you it looked no where near as nice as the one in the photo above^. Mine was similiar to the first photo but slightly fuller with a little bit more blooms. It's been in the ground for 1 full year now and I hope next year it looks even better.

I have 2 small Jose lilacs. One bloomed a bit already, but they are both new (planted in the fall) and small still. They may rebloom as Jose lilacs are supposed to.
They both get a lot of sun and are in raised (slightly) beds. I am glad they are b/c I didn't know they didn't like wet feet.
Jean

Jean, where did you find your Jose Lilacs? Lilacs have been my favs since childhood in Ohio. I have one that I think is a lilac. It's a pink and the bloom looks and smells like a lilac but the leaf sure throws me. It's right now budding out and I'll take some pics when it blooms out enough. Back several years ago we made a trip to Michigan to visit some family after dropping my MIL off in PA. I was grabbing lilacs along the way and this is one of them. This one just started blooming last year (one bloom) and this year it has more blooms but still not many. It's in shade except some early morning sun. I have another one that's a yellow, I think Yellow Primrose was the name, but it has yet to bloom, but it sure puts out a lot of new growth from the bottom.

Hi rootdigger (Deb,right?),
I got my Josee Lilacs from Moonshine Designs by mail order in Sept. They were one gal for $12.95 each.
I also got a Sunshine Blue Caryopteris, Hedgerows Gold & Cardinal Red Osier Dogwood, Blue Satin Rose of Sharon, Paper White Birch, Blue Muffin Viburnum, Pink Parosols Spirea, and Claudie Hydrangea from them. They all arrived in great condition in the fall.
I ordered a primrose lilac from Springhill but not sure if it made it. I was looking (and really wanting - lol) the yellow primrose. I hope it blooms for you! Exciting that it is growing well. Where did you get it?
Jean

Jean, I got it either in PA or MI. We were traveling and I can't remeber which one came from which place, but they were just little local nurseries we ran across and/or in MI it was a big box store.

Finally have those pictures of the unlilac leaves lilac....
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either those timestamps are off or I'm living in the past. maybe both!or I am crazy and that is probably true...
But the flowers look just like my lilacs. My leaves are narrower. -Ais.

Ok, they've been sitting in pots awhile now, and I've even tried to trade them because I was convinced they wouldn't grow well here....but, you've convinced me to try!!!

So, here goes, planting the 'Miss Kim' and an unknown cultivar as we speak....High, Dry, Sun, Lime...have I got it right? Hmm...reminds me of a Margarita...which sounds better than digging a hole in the hot sun.....

Maybe they can stand those pots just a little longer..

I started this lilac post because my were dieing.
My lilac have started to look better but still not great.

Ais, LOL....I'm cheap and my camera eats batteries when I leave them in the camera, due to the date/time stamp. I don't bother with the time/date stamps unless it's something important. That lilac blooms really late. I'm thinking it was either very late May or even early June and the blooms on that one seem to last longer than the other lilacs. It is such an odd leaf for a lilac, but it has the lilac fragrance and bloom.

Yes, Christmas Day would be an odd time for lilac to be blooming... :)

I live in Upstate, New York near lake Ontario and missed the smell of lilacs in the spring so i brought back 100 3-4' lilacs back to my winter home 30 miles north of Durham ,NC zone 7b they seem to be doing very well . I add 10-10-10 fertilizer to the soil every spring and keep the PH close to 7

I have one plant of Miss Kim here in the NC piedmont, zone 7a. I never do anything to it.

It survives in full sun, but sometimes gets some browned leaves. It blooms well and is pretty but blooms for a short time and takes up a fair amount of room. If I had more land I might try other lilacs.

Miss Kim is a beautiful shrub and i have a couple of bushes i purchased at Lowe's that were real pricey in this state. but i like the old fashion French lilacs they bloom for 2 week or so and you can smell them throughout the the neighborhood, Plants are half the cost in upstate New York, so on my return trip here in the fall i load up my trunk of the car with bare root plants in wet bags that will keep them alive until i can get them planted.