Small Trees and Shrubs

As Green’s Nursery catalog from 1904 explains, “There are many trees that by pruning can be made to resemble shrubs, and many shrubs that by different pruning may be made to produce medium-sized trees.”

Lilacs Syringa spp.

Lilacs have been a fixture in the New England landscape for generations. More often than not, when we find old apple trees, the ancient lilacs are not far away. The large rambling suckering shrubs continue to flourish each spring long after the buildings have disappeared and all that remains of homesteads are crumbling stone foundations. Why were the lilacs always planted just outside the kitchen door? On cold winter mornings, someone would clean out the wood stove and sprinkle ashes on the icy path to the backhouse, the woodshed or the clothesline. The earth outside the kitchen door became more alkaline, which lilacs love.

Excellent alone or in hedges. Deep green glossy heart-shaped foliage looks good all season. Intensely fragrant blooms in May. Flowers range from singles to doubles, pure white to the deepest purples, pinks, reds and lavenders. Bees and butterflies love them, too. Ornamental, edible (frittered flowers), medicinal, and a great Mother’s Day gift.

Growing Lilacs

• Soil: Adaptable. Prefers well-drained moderately rich soil; sandy gravelly loam is perfect.
• Sun: Full sun, but will tolerate part shade.
• Planting: Add a shovelful of wood ash or lime to the hole at planting time, then add another shovelful of either every 3 years. A yearly mulch of manure or compost will encourage spectacular annual blooming. Pink, lavender and blue lilacs color up best in soil with a neutral pH.
• Pruning: If you choose to prune your lilacs, do it right after flowering. (Late-season pruning removes next year’s buds.) As the plant matures, prune off a quarter of the new suckers and the oldest growth (a few main stems each year).

  Some growers prefer to keep the plant low and bushy. Do so by “topping” it off every year: prune any upright branch back to a junction with a lower branch. Others prefer a tall tree-like form. Our friends Philippe and Danielle have let theirs soar to 8' or more, removing the lower branches and creating a magical walkway in the process. Lilacs are more than willing to cater to your own personal vision. Have fun! No need to cut off spent flowers except for appearance.

Lilac isn’t blooming?

• Too shady: lilacs need sun to form blossoms.
• Over-pruned: pruned too late, removed buds. Also, some plants respond to excessive pruning by putting their energy into vegetative growth instead of flowering.
• Too wet: lilacs like well-drained soil.
• Over-fertilized: lilacs will bloom well without assistance. Too much fertility can lead to more vegetative growth and inhibit bud formation.