Garden Blog

Caring for Lilacs

Removing Spent Blooms on Lilacs

Lilacs will be more attractive and bloom heavily every year if the spent flower clusters are removed. This prevents seeds from forming and the plant puts more energy into forming flower buds for next year’s bloom. Always prune back to a set of leaves and don’t leave stubs.

The Landscape Arboretum has 16 species of lilacs, many hybrids and over 125 cultivars represented in the Lilac Collection. Due to the size of the collection and the size of the plants spent flowers are not removed.

Most plants still bloom well every year but would probably bloom a little better if the spent flowers were removed.

Pruning Lilacs

Lilacs can get very tall and flowers on older plants may be too high up to really experience the beauty and fragrance. Older lilacs should never be cut ½ way back and respond well to renewal pruning - removing up to 1/3 of the oldest stems all the way to the ground over 3-4 years. Young shoots or suckers will sprout from the base and renew the shrub. Lilacs look and flower the best when they have their natural form and a mix of younger and older stems.

by Peter Moe

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