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California Gardening

Fragrant lilacs for nor.cal/ bay area

13 years ago

I garden in the peninsula area and would like some feedback on which of the fragrant lilacs (low chill) varieties do well here. I am looking for something very fragrant and blooms reasonably reliably. If some fussing is needed, I am willing to do it for this plant. Is there a nursery with good choices? I have seen some in Reagan nursery in Fremont (east bay) but don't know if any of the local nurseries have it.

Thanks for your feedback I really appreciate this community.

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Comments (3)

toffee1
13 years ago
I have two Persian Lilac. Both were planted as bare root about 10 years ago, they have been healthy and bloom in the spring.

See the purple one in the middle:

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iris_gal
13 years ago
These are listed at Sunset.

Eight lilacs for mild-winter climates

Low-chill lilacs can be purchased at many nurseries. If you can't find the variety you want, ask your nursery to order it from L. E. Cooke Co. in Visalia, California (wholesale only).

Descanso Hybrids
Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 'Angel White': Mildly fragrant white flowers develop on the upper branches of a thick, bushy shrub that grows 8 to 10 feet tall. Selected and introduced from Lammerts' original plants by Monrovia Nursery. "The idea was to name it after the baseball team and call it 'Los Angeles Angels'," says Boddy. But it didn't get registered that way.

Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 'California Rose': Mildly fragrant medium pink flowers appear in profusion on a vigorous shrub that grows 8 to 10 feet tall.

Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 'Lavender Lady': Lavender flowers with good fragrance develop on a shrub about 8 to 10 feet tall. 'F. K. Smith' and 'Sylvan Beauty' are similar, but the flowers on 'F. K. Smith' are a bit lighter on an 8- to 10-foot-tall plant, and 'Sylvan Beauty' has pinker, more open blooms on a 10- to 12-foot-tall plant.

Other low-chill lilacs
Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 'Blue Skies': Very fragrant lavender flowers appear on an 8-foot-tall plant. Heavy bloomer. No need to adjust water to induce dormancy. Developed by rose hybridizer Ralph Moore in Visalia, California.

Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 'Esther Staley' (Syringa hyacinthiflora): Very showy, pure pink flowers with good fragrance develop on rounded shrubs that grow to about 8 feet tall.

Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 'Excel' (S. hyacinthiflora): Light lavender flowers with good fragrance appear on rounded shrubs 8 feet or taller. Massive bloomer. Blooms earlier than the others listed (late February or early March).
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lalithar
Original Author
13 years ago
I spoke to a very knowledgeable nursery lady (up in Regan's Nursery in Fremont) and she told me that I do not have to restrict myself to the low-chill varieties. Unlike so-cal, Northern California/ bay area gets enough chill to be able to have reliable blooms with french lilacs, persian lilacs etc. She has a hedge of lilacs that she planted bareroot several years ago and they bloom! So now I shall expand my search wider.. I love such discoveries in gardening!
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