Product Overview
QUICK FACTS
| Common Name: | French Hybrid Lilac |
| Hardiness Zone: 3-7S/8W | Exposure: Sun |
| Find your zone? | Blooms In: May |
| Height: 10-12’ | Spacing: 8–12’ |
A highly regarded French hybrid, 'Charles Joly' matures into a large, upright shrub (about 10–12′ tall and wide). Add double magenta flowers that are extremely fragrant, and it's no surprise that this Lilac was given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Lilacs are classic spring-flowering shrubs. They offer dense heads of lavender-blue (better known as "lilac"), deep purple, white, or wine red flowers with a strong, sweet fragrance that is, for many of us, inextricably intertwined with memories of spring visits to Grandmother's house. Most Lilacs prefer full sun and neutral to slightly alkaline soil. For reliable bloom and sweet fragrance, generally around Memorial Day, these sturdy shrubs are in a class by themselves. (Please note: Lilacs will not endure desert heat.)
Latin Name Pronunciation: sir-ing'guh
Plant Syringa in full sun (S. laciniata varieties are the exception and will perform well in partial shade). Immature lilacs produce flowers with lighter coloration; it may take 4–6 years for their true color to show.
All Lilacs require well-drained soil with pH close to neutral. Add lime if your soil is extremely acid. Fertilize once, in early spring, with a light application of an organic seaweed extract, fish emulsion, or slow-release fertilizer. Prune as necessary after bloom in spring.
S. vulgaris varieties are prone to powdery mildew, which generally appears in late summer. Mildew disfigures the leaves to varying degrees, but seems to have little effect on the vigor of the plant.
