Plant Library

Other Names:  Common Lilac

Group/Class:  French Hybrid Lilac

Description:

Considered among the very best, this spring blooming lilac features fragrant double purple-red flowers in upright panicles; upright, multi-stemmed habit, tends to sucker, ideal for screening; full sun and well-drained soil, allow room for air movement

Ornamental Features

Charles Joly Lilac features showy panicles of fragrant fuchsia flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring, which emerge from distinctive deep purple flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has bluish-green deciduous foliage. The heart-shaped leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color.

Landscape Attributes

Charles Joly Lilac is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Invasive
• Insects

Charles Joly Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Charles Joly Lilac will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.