You’ve heard of lilac, love its purple-pink flowers, and recognize its sweet scent—but have you thought about bringing this beloved shrub to your home garden? For all of their beauty and fragrant bliss, lilacs can be surprisingly easy to grow in New Jersey.
Full sun and loamy soil are the main boxes to check when choosing a place to plant lilac. Enjoy those scented spring blooms, and then just give the shrub a little bit of pruning and shaping once the flowering season is complete. Lilacs like daily watering while they are getting established. Their size can vary from one type to the next, so be sure to check your selection and plan accordingly. Some varieties are trees that can grow up to 25 feet tall!
Did You Know?
A lilac bloom only lasts for a few precious weeks each spring.
Other Fun Facts About Lilac
- Lilacs are part of the olive family.
- The purple lilac has been the state flower of New Hampshire since 1919, when it outdueled nine other flowers for the title.
- The warmer the weather and brighter the sun, the more fragrant lilac flowers will be.
- George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew lilacs in their gardens. Jefferson even wrote about them.
- Some lilacs may live for a century or longer!
