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Southern Varieties of Lilac


Are there many things that smell as sweet as a lilac bush in full bloom in Spring? And, fragrance aside, their blooms are breathtaking!! Lilacs will not tolerate the hot summers and very mild winters south of our state, but there are many varieties that will thrive in the Middle Tennessee area! Ours at Riverbend are in full bloom, and below are some pretty pics as well as tips on how to care for these beauties! Read on!

(Shown above: Syringa ‘President Lincoln’)

In our area, lilacs grow best in full sun with a bit of afternoon shade. They love medium moist, well- drained soil.

(Shown above: ‘Ludwig Spaeth’ Syringa)

Their breathtaking blooms put on a spectacular show in April!

(Shown above: Syringa ‘Blue Skies’)

For best bloom, lilacs like soil that is slightly acidic to slightly alkaline; a pH between 6.5- 7.0.

To check your pH level in your soil, a simple soil test can be bought at the local home improvement store!

If it turns out you need to amend your soil to make it more acidic or alkaline, you can raise pH by adding ground limestone to the soil around your lilac. To lower pH, aluminum sulfate may be added to your soil.

Ask us or a gardening professional about how much to use, depending on your pH! This amending is best to do in the Fall to be ready for Spring bloom season.

(Shown above: Syringa ‘Sensation’)

These large growing (most mature to be about 12-16′ tall!), deciduous shrubs make bold statements of their own in a garden!

At Riverbend, we offer these varieties you see here as well as a couple others- ‘Betsy Ross’ and also ‘Bloomerang’- which is a dark purple, smaller variety that only reaches 4-5′ tall!

So there you have it- some Lilac varieties that thrive in our warmer climate and can be grown in your own backyard!

What questions do you have for us?

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