Hi
I just bought lilac ludwig shurb from walmart. It is 1 feet tall right now. I wonder how fast it grows every year. the label says its height is 1.5 meter. How long I need to wait to reach that height? Thank you very much
Thank you for writing Toronto Master Gardeners.
Syringa vulgaris ‘Ludwig Spaeth’ is a French Hybrid Lilac that was first introduced in 1883. It’s a gorgeous late bloomer that has perfumed gardens for well over a hundred years.
The only information I could find on growth rate is that it is a moderate rate. Your plant label says the plant will grow to a height of 1.5 meters. I checked several places and the height for this plant is listed at around 3 meters with a spread of 1.8 – 2.4 meters. From my experience with lilacs, it might grow to 1.5 m in approximately 3 years if in full sun and well watered, the first year especially. It is a beautiful lilac, award winning, with a lovely fragrance and it blooms in the spring but at the end of the usual lilac blooming time. Be sure the location can accommodate the full size of the bush.
Once established, lilacs are drought tolerant. For the first year, it will need a deep slow watering when soil is dry. It won’t need pruning initially but it will bloom better next year if this year’s flowers are snipped off when dead. You should do this after they finish of blooming. If you leave it too late, you risk cutting off next years flower buds.