Planting, caring for & cutting autumn lilacs

If you have autumn lilacs in your garden, you can always look forward to a second flowering after the main flowering of the shrub. Due to its more delicate growth size, this lilac is also suitable for smaller gardens.

The beautiful autumn lilac (Syringa microphylla) not only enchants its owners with its exceptionally long flowering period, it is also an ideal source of pollen and nectar for many insects. In this article, you will learn more about the properties and requirements of the easy-care shrub.

Autumn lilac: origin, flowering time and characteristics

The ornamental wood is sometimes referred to as dwarf lilac, small-leaved lilac or more frequently blooming lilac. The autumn lilac has its origin in China, it belongs to the olive family (

Oleaceae). A characteristic feature of the deciduous shrub is its height, which at 1.5 to 2 meters is significantly lower than that of other lilac species. The growth of the autumn lilac is bushy and densely branched. In old age it is usually wider than it is tall. The flowering period can extend to October, but the main flowering is in May and June. From this point on, the perennial shrub is adorned with flowers on the biennial wood until early autumn, which are arranged in panicles about 7 centimeters long. The leaves of the autumn lilac are medium green, egg-shaped to broad-oval and sit opposite on the branches. The intense scent that the flowers give off is not only pleasant for humans: it also attracts bees, butterflies and other insects. Temperatures down to around - 20 ° C do not affect the hardy autumn lilac. It tolerates different locations without complaint and looks best when planted individually, but also fits into one Flowering hedge.

Autumn lilac varieties: The variety is best known and oldest Syringa microphylla 'Superba'. Its purple-pink colored flowers appear numerous between the light green leaves. The ‘Dark Purple’ variety is usually even smaller and rounder with a height of 1.5 meters. Its flowers are dark purple. The third well-known variety is called ‘Rosea’ and accordingly displays bright pink flowers.

Plant autumn lilacs

The autumn lilac prefers a sunny to partially shaded and best sheltered location. The soil is ideally rich in nutrients and permeable. If the substrate is very sandy, it can be improved with 40 to 70 liters of potting soil. It is best to plant the autumn lilacs either in early autumn or in late spring to avoid frost and drought damage. If it is particularly warm at the time of planting, care should be taken to ensure a good water supply during the growing phase so that the soil does not dry out. In addition, a planting distance of at least 1.5 to 2 meters means that the ornamental trees can develop freely. The plant should not be planted deeper in the pot than before, after which the earth is well trodden all around.

Tip: Due to its size, the autumn lilac is also suitable as a container plant. However, the tallest possible pot should be chosen when planting, as the shrub is deep-rooted. If there are holes in the vessel that allow the excess irrigation water to run off, no additional drainage layer is required. Fill the pot with soil that provides your autumn lilacs with sufficient nutrients, such as ours Plantura organic universal soil. This contains 100% natural raw materials, is also peat-free and ensures a vital and vigorous plant splendor. The soil in the pot should be replaced with new one every two to three years.

Propagation: Propagation via root cuttings in autumn is promising. For this, 5 cm long pieces of root are pricked out of the ball. The pieces should be a little thicker than pencils. These are now put into pots with the upper side up and set up at around 15 ° C.

It is also possible to propagate the autumn lilac using cuttings. To do this, cut non-flowering, unwooded, 20 cm long head cuttings with around three leaf nodes from your lilac in May or June. The leaves are then removed from the lower part of each cutting. Now the shoot can be put into a potting soil-sand mixture up to the first remaining pair of leaves, which has to be poured regularly. To guarantee successful rooting, the use of a rooting hormone is recommended. At a temperature of 15 ° C, the rooting usually takes six to eight weeks. By putting a plastic bag on top, a warm, humid microclimate can be created, which is conducive to rooting. Here, however, you should pay attention to regular ventilation.

tip: Lilacs not infrequently form runners by themselves, so it forms shoots on roots that run close to the surface. These can also simply be cut off in autumn and re-transplanted directly.

The most important maintenance measures

The care of the autumn lilac is associated with little effort. The shrub has a medium water requirement, so it only needs to be watered moderately. In dry periods, however, you should pay more attention to an adequate water supply.
If necessary, the shrub can be thinned by removing old or transverse shoots near the ground in late winter or early spring. Otherwise further flower growth can be stimulated by regularly removing the withered flower panicles. In order to provide the autumn lilac with additional nutrients, some organic fertilizer or compost can be incorporated in the spring.

At a glance:

• Provide sufficient water
• Incorporate compost or organic fertilizer in the spring
• Regularly remove withered flower panicles
• Thin out as required in late winter

Tip: The potted plants in particular depend on a good and regular supply of nutrients, as they only access a small volume of soil as a source of nutrients. You should therefore fertilize potted plants once or twice a year. A flower fertilizer with sufficient phosphorus content is suitable for this, also because this is required for flower formation. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer contains, for example, a sufficient amount of phosphorus and also enough potassium to prepare the lilac in the tub for drought and cold. Since it is a long-term fertilizer in granulate form, it can initially be mixed with the soil when planting or distributed under the mulch on the root ball.

Is the autumn lilac poisonous?

Basically, all parts of a lilac plant are slightly poisonous. Adults would have to eat larger amounts in order to notice any of the consequences. In children and pets, however, even smaller amounts can cause abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

If you already have a lilac in your garden, you should know about the care measures. In our special article we explain exactly what needs to be considered when using your Cut lilac.