Lilacs have very few blooms

13 years ago

I have about 40 lilacs, some in my yard and others a few miles away at the farm and except for my dwarf variety most have no blooms or just a few. I noticed the same thing when driving around the neighborhood and almost everyone has a lilac or two around here (Montgomery Co.). This is the first time in 20 years that this has happened. Does anyone know why?

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Comments (14)

Ann
13 years ago
I have the same problem with the two lilacs in my yard but I thought mine weren't blooming because they didn't get enough sun...hmmm Is it possible that the buds are breaking off or getting fried before they fully develop? Let me know if you find an answer. Are you coming to the swap on the 14th?
karyn1
Original Author
13 years ago
I drove out to Howard Co this morning and it's the same thing. The lilacs have nice foliage but no blooms. It doesn't look like mine had damage to the buds. It looks like they never developed. Evidently it's fairly widespread in this area because DH's local suppliers don't have much either. Someone said that maybe it was too cold this winter and spring but I can recall colder then average winters and I still had flowers. This is weird and I'm so disappointed, lilacs are one of my favorite spring flowers. I just hope my peonies look good this year. I don't think I'll be able to make it to the swap. The kids have a swim meet in VA that weekend.
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dawnstorm
13 years ago
I'm seeing the same thing with my lilac. Usually by this time, it's in full bloom, and I get high on the scent while I hang my clothes out ;), but not this year. Color me confused.
cynthia_gw
13 years ago
I just thought they were late! Interesting. It's definitely not due to the cold, they bloom like crazy in New England and winters are a lot colder there with later spring.
happy2b…gw
13 years ago
very few lilacs in MoCo and Charles County- I am so disappointed.
karyn1
Original Author
13 years ago
It's so weird. Does anyone know why it happened? All the other spring blooming trees and flowers have looked fine so far. Still waiting on the peonies......
rico_md
13 years ago
Well, I thought it was just my lilacs. I live in Prince Georges. Whatever it is,it's region wide.
alina_1
13 years ago
My 3 years old Lilacs NEVER bloomed for me. They are more than 5' tall. So frustrating...
The only Lilac that blooms like crazy and REPEATS later in the season is Josee. I am very happy with it.

{{gwi:230853}}
sujiwan_gw 6b MD/PA
13 years ago
Is it possible that the lilacs, that are quite sensitive to growing in high temp areas. were affected in their bud growing tissues by last year's heat wave?
pthiringer
13 years ago
Same thing for me in No Va.
karyn1
Original Author
13 years ago
Alina is that a dwarf variety? My dwarf is covered but the most blooms any of my standard lilacs had was 3 and they were small. Yours looks like it has big blooms. My dwarf has lots of flowers but they are small.
{{gwi:475639}}

I don't know if it was due to heat last summer but it had to be something common to the entire area. Was last summer that much hotter then previous years?
alina_1
13 years ago
Karyn,
It is advertised as 4'-6' tall and it seems to be true. Mine is about 5' now. I bought it 3 years ago online and it was a tiny potted baby. The description says:

A dwarf lilac noted for its ability to bloom continuously until frost. Josee is the result of a 3-way cross between S. meyeri, S. patula, and S. microphylla. A hardy lilac that is just the right size for a specimen planting or hedge row.

It DOES NOT bloom "continuously until frost" for me, but it does repeat in flushes throughout the season. Overall, I am very pleased with it.
rico_md
13 years ago
Last summer was warm. Maybe the warmest summer on record.
From June-Sept there were 67 days of 90+ temperatures. June was the warmest on record and July tied for the warmest month ever. The heat lasted into September. That could explain the lack of lilac blooms this year.
Sue F
last year
I had alot of cicada damage to my bushes from last spring the leaves look great but very few blooms has any one else seen the same issue