How to Grow and Care for a Dwarf Lilac Tree

Appearance

Dwarf lilacs will grow to be about five to eight feet in height and can spread to around ten feet in width. Once you’ve decided that a dwarf lilac is the right choice for you, you’ll still have to pick from a number of different varieties including Hers, Syringa Vulgaris, Syringa Hyancinthafolia, Meyer, among others. These varieties produce magnificent flowers in varying colors, white, pink, purple, blue, or lavender, depending on the variety. Most of the varieties of dwarf lilacs will be in bloom for between two to three weeks, although the time they’re in bloom will vary based on the variety. If you want to have the beautiful flowers and fragrance for a longer period of time and have a little extra space in your yard, a good solution is to plant early and mid-season varieties which will allow you to enjoy them for a month to six weeks.

Where to Plant

When finding a place where your dwarf lilac would fit, make sure it is an area that gets at least six to eight hours of sun light. Beyond the importance of finding a place with enough sun in your yard, you should try to avoid planting your dwarf lilac tree too near any evergreens, because they often don’t fare as well planted in close proximity to these trees.

Planting

After you have picked a location and the variety or varieties of your dwarf lilac trees it is time to start thinking about planting. Your tree will probably have the most success if you plant it in early spring. Dig a hole that is wide enough and deep enough to accommodate the roots. Put a layer of decomposing leaves, compost, or peat moss at the base of the hole, this will provide a cushion for your new tree. Place the tree in the hole and fill the hole with a mixture of compost, peat moss, and soil. Your new dwarf lilac tree prefers well drained soil and should be watered routinely, but never soaked. As the tree begins to mature it will become increasingly more draught resistant and won’t require as much watering or attention.

Dwarf lilac trees should be pruned once annually. It is important to prune them once immediately after their first flowering has been completed, because this will promote the growth of more blossoms for the following season. After the first pruning, care for the lilac is quite simple. The shape of the dwarf lilac tree is easy to maintain. The annual pruning is needed to keep the center of the tree open and to cut back cross branches and suckers. Overall, the dwarf lilac tree is very resilient and won’t require much care, but will provide you with beautiful blossoms and an unmatchable fragrance.