Hi,I have 2 white lilacs in my garden.The lady who lived here before me swears that they used to be purple.Can lilac change colour over time? I would love them to be lilac again-is there anything I can do to the soil-it is heavy clay?Would appreciate any ideas,thank you.
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Nanjan, a new one on me and I grew up with large Lilac bushes still have some. They come in all colours from delicate pinks to every shade of purple mauve and lilac to white and even a red.
There is one called Syringa Oleaceae "Isabella" with single Lilac flowers which are nearly white inside the flower and as the flowers go over the white shows more.
At the moment I have in flower deep blue Lilac and a white, had them years and never had a colour change, put it down to a mixed memory.
Frank.
Lilacs are often grafted onto a rootstock, sometimes of lilac and sometimes privet is used. However I thought that the lilac used as a rootstock is the common lilac colour, so if suckers had taken over the resulting flowers would be lilac not white.
I suppose the flowers are lilac, not privet .................
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Easy to tell the difference, lilac smells lovely. Privet smells dreadful
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks for the replies all,my lilacs are definitely lilacs and not privet.Looks like the previous owner had a memory lapse!There are several other gardens with lilacs nearby,all shades of purple/blue.I'll just have to be content with being the odd one out!
Says you - I love the smell of privet in bloom
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Good reason to buy another one!
I like the look of my purple lilac nanjan but I think the white has the best scent.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Privet in flower attracts a huge number of butterflies.
I also like the smell of privet in flower but having left a long privet hedge behind at my old place,I don't miss it one bit!My lilac does smell nice,nutcutlet.Tetley,good idea about the deep purple next to the white-there is room for one so might look into that.Thanks again everyone!
Do you think she also just had the idea in her head that because it's called 'Lilac' it must be that colour?...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...