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To clear up any confusion, there is no difference between a lilac bush and a lilac tree, they are the same plant just called by different names. Some lilacs flower two weeks earlier, including Syringa x hyacinthiflora varieties and these are often referred to as early flowering lilacs.
Is a lilac bush the same as a lilac tree?
Shrub lilacs and bush lilacs are short and compact. Tree lilacs can grow up to 25 feet (7.6 m.) high and have a tree-like appearance, but their many stems tend to get them classified as bushes. They are not technically trees, but they get big enough that you can treat them as if they are.
Do I have a lilac bush or tree?
A definition of the difference between trees and shrubs doesn’t yet exist, but trees are generally accepted to be taller than 13 feet and have a single trunk. Towering lilacs look like trees, and some varieties are called tree lilacs, but their many stems cause gardening experts to classify lilacs as bushes or shrubs.
Can you turn a lilac bush into a tree?
Flowering shrubs you can turn into trees include lilac, panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), flowering quince and spring blooming star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). It’s not impossible to train these shrubs into small trees; it just might take a little more effort.
What kind of tree looks like a lilac bush?
Often referred as the Southern lilac, crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is the plant and bloom that most resembles lilacs. Crape myrtles are shrubs or bushes with woody growth. They produce cone-shaped flower spikes made up of tiny flowers ranging in color from dark pink to purple to white.
What is the lifespan of a lilac bush?
How long do lilac bushes live? They’re super-hardy and may live 75 years or more!May 24, 2018.
Where is the best place to plant a lilac tree?
The ideal spot to plant lilacs is in an area with full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours per day)—give them too much shade and they may not bloom. Lilacs also like slightly alkaline, moist, well-drained soil.
Are coffee grounds good for lilacs?
Grass clippings and coffee grounds can be used as a good source of nitrogen. Use sparingly, as too much nitrogen in the soil will result in poor blooms. Lilacs grow best in slightly alkaline (6.5 to 7.0 pH), moist, well-drained soil. Adding bone meal to the soil can make it more alkaline.
Are lilacs poisonous to dogs?
Are Lilacs Poisonous to Dogs? Lilacs do not contain any chemicals that will poison animals or humans, nor do they irritate the skin. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, the Persian lilac (Melia azedarach) which is not related to true lilac, is poisonous to dogs.
Do lilacs need a lot of water?
Lilacs respond best to deep, infrequent watering. Make sure that your planting area or container drains well. These plants do not like wet feet and will not bloom if over watered. Too much water can diminish the oxygen in the soil by filling in air pockets with water, which chokes the roots of the lilac.
How do you rejuvenate a lilac bush?
One way to renew a large, overgrown lilac is to cut the entire plant back to within 6 to 8 inches of the ground in late winter (March or early April). This severe pruning will induce a large number of shoots to develop during the growing season.
How much can you prune a lilac bush?
Pruning lilac shrubs A good rule of thumb when pruning lilacs is not to prune more than one third of a shrub’s stems per year.
Do lilac bushes spread?
Most flowering shrubs need regular pruning to keep them vibrant, and the common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is no exception. Lilac bushes will typically flower without any effort from you. However, if left to grow and spread on their own, common lilacs will eventually only flower on the tops of the uppermost branches.
When should you trim back a lilac bush?
Lilacs form flower buds at the tips of branches during the previous growing season. This means that it is important to prune just under the panicles a week or two after the plant has finished blooming. If you prune the branch tips heavily or after the flower buds have formed, you will have fewer blooms next year.
What smells similar to lilac?
Flowers That Smell Like Lilacs Charles Rennie Mackintosh Rose. Even though roses are also known for having a very distinct fragrance, there is one rose that is scented similarly to a lilac. Petrocallis Pyrenaica. Oncidium Incurvum Orchids.
Are banana peels good for lilacs?
Organic Lilac Food Grass clippings and coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, but use them sparingly in compost. Banana peels offer potassium to the soil.
How long does it take for a lilac bush to get to full maturity?
Age: Lilac plants need time to grow before they begin flowering. So, if you have a very young plant, it may not be mature enough to bloom. Most plants start blooming after three or four years but some may take as long as six or seven. The blooms for the first few years will be sparse but should increase with time.
Do lilacs symbolize death?
Lilacs are purple flowers that are associated with the Language of Flowers. This flower is a symbol of the emotions of early love. The color lilac used to be associated with mourning. Black was worn or used to symbolize a recent death in some European and North American cultures.
Can I plant lilac next to House?
Lilac roots aren’t considered invasive and as long as you leave enough space between the tree, or shrub, and the structure, there is little risk from planting lilacs near foundations. Lilac roots generally spread one and one-half times the width of the shrub.
How do you keep a lilac tree small?
Regular pruning serves multiple purposes for lilac bushes and shrubs. Cutting back a lilac will, of course, help to keep it a certain size, but pruning done properly can also encourage more flower growth as well. Lilacs bloom more prolifically on younger branches that are on the thinner side.
What should I plant next to my lilac bush?
Additional Lilac Bush Companions Mock orange. Flowering crabapples. Dogwoods. Flowering cherries. Magnolias.
