skip to main content

dark colored lilacs

16 years ago

Our regular lilacs aren't performing well. Few flowers plus my wife would prefer a darker lilac color. I would like to retain the luscious fragrance. On a second priority, I prefer double individual flowers. (Our Miss Kim has good flowers with good fragrance, but I find the individual flowers insufficiently old fashioned.)

Full sun, well drained location.

Any suggestions of cultivars. I will be trolling my nurseries for the next few weeks for out of bloom bargains so would like to know the names of the varieties to look out for.

Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Embothrium
16 years ago
'Miss Kim' is not a Syringa vulgaris cultivar. The upright massive fragrant heads are produced by S. vulgaris. At bargain time you may not have much of a selection. It depends on the particular situation you may find, perhaps there is an outlet near there that didn't do very well with lilac sales this year and has quite an assortment still in stock.

Fall inventory reduction sale time is the best time to plant hardy plants like lilacs but shopping then you have to settle for what is left after others have been browsing and purchasing all spring and summer.
aegis1000
16 years ago
{{gwi:255151}}
Yankee Doodle

{{gwi:255152}}
Arch McKeon

{{gwi:255153}}
President Poincare

{{gwi:255154}}
Paul Thirion

{{gwi:255155}}
Wonderblue

{{gwi:255157}}
Sensation ...

Sensation is probably your best bet to find in a nursery now.
Related Discussions
WANTED: Dark Purple Lilac and Dark Purple Butterfly Bush
Q
Comments (0)
Hi, looking for a small trade of each. I forget the name of the butterfly bush, but I think it is ' Dark Knight ' My seeds now are limited, I have; Yellow Rose Green Rose Purple Rose Tall Maiden Grass Purple Gladiolus
...See More
Primrose Lilac (infamous yellow lilac)
Q
Comments (16)
I have two of these bushes. They bloom every year but it did take a few years. They are a very light yellow. I’m wondering if the acidity of the soil makes any difference. I bought them from Spring Hill. The first time, they didn’t make it through the winter. They were sold out so I didn’t get any replacement. I ordered again the following year. That was over 12 years ago. I have written to Spring Hill that the yellow is not as intense as the photos but they never bothered to respond.
...See More
HAVE: A rose bush, rhododendron, and dark purple lilac
Q
Comments (0)
I live in South West Seattle and have a rose rhody and a dark purple lilac That are up for grabs, you dig and you can have :)
...See More
dark purple lilac
Q
Comments (17)
Hi, I am looking for a black lilac, and YES, there once was one. I worked at a Clinic in Brockton MA and in their back there was this bush, that had very thick truly black lilacs, that did smell, sensational. I have longed for a black lilac ever since. I went back years later, to cut a branch, but found it had been razed to the ground and the area paved over. They paved paradise, put up a parking lot! It must have been a very old cultivar since I have been searching, since. If you find ONE, let me know.
...See More
tangerine_z6
16 years ago
Aegis500...those are wonderful pictures. Do you have a favorite in terms of scent or form?
aegis1000
16 years ago
All have good (old fashioned) Lilac fragrance.

As far as form, Wonderblue should only get to around 6', making it's flowers more accessible, Sensation, Yankee Doodle and Arch McKeon may reach 8', and the remainder will achieve the standard Lilac height of 12'.
paphiocon
16 years ago
I ordered a plant of Wonderblue from Klehm's two years ago and it bloomed for the first time this year. The flowers are "bluish" compared to other Lilacs; however, they are not as dark the flower in the photo posted.

One thing -- the plant I have produced double flowers. It wasn't the radial doubling typical of Wonderblue, as the extra petals come from the center of each individual flower. I have no idea if it is another (mislabeled) cultivar or a mutation, nor have I contacted Klehm's to ask if they know anything about it.

Rarefind Nursery in Jackson, NJ has some new (old) Lilacs listed this year and some of them are dark red-purples.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rarefind Nursery

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Let Lilac Love Flower This Spring

By Alison Hodgson

Whatever you bestow or receive for Mother's Day, lilacs can be an unmatched gift in the garden in May

DECORATING GUIDES My Houzz: Light Emerges in a Dark Victorian House

By Luisa Rollenhagen

A designer freshens up her family’s period home by opening rooms to sunlight and decorating it in light, bright colors

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Lilac Vine for a Purple Profusion in Winter

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Grow this pretty, hardy vine on a fence or as a ground cover for blooms throughout the colder months

COLOR 9 Dark Wall Colors to Suit Your Mood

By Becky Harris

Tired of light and airy? Try dark and moody for a change; you may be surprised by the moods these colors inspire

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: From Dark and Dim to Cheerily Colorful in Pennsylvania

By Adrienne DeRosa

New windows and lively colors combine with updated accents to wake up a 3-bedroom home in Pittsburgh

COLOR 21 Reasons to Decorate With Purple

Whatever shade you choose — lilac, plum, mauve or aubergine — purple makes a statement

COLOR Painting Rooms with Dark Colors

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: A Creative Home Bursting With Dark Colors

By Luisa Rollenhagen

Animal skulls, snakeskin wallpaper and black candles: This creative couple’s home celebrates an extravagant mix of color and texture

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Deep Attraction to Dark Colors

Tap into your dark side and decorate with a dramatic palette

KITCHEN DESIGN Cabinet Colors for Dark Appliances

By Lisa Frederick

See how to make your black kitchen appliances blend in and look great

Sponsored

Mary Shipley Interiors

32 Reviews

Columbus OH Premier Interior Designer 10x Best of Houzz

More Discussions

issue with Encore Azalea

0

North American Source for Chaemelaucium uncinaturm?

5

Mountain fire pieris

3

Planting distance Question

17

Does my fig tree need prunning?

3