Plant of the Month: Bloomerang Lilac
When you think of spring, you think of tulips, spring training, April showers, cherry blossoms… and LILACS! No garden is complete without one. How can you resist the incredible fragrance, beautiful purple flowers, and mini habitat that invites butterflies and hummingbirds?
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “I love lilacs, but the blossoms are so short lived! I wish they bloomed longer.” Wish no more—we’re here to introduce you to the Bloomerang Lilac! The same sweet smell, the same shade of purple consuming the shrub, and the same haven to the local butterflies and birds—only in a compact, reblooming plant.
As the name suggests, “Bloomerang” will deliver a blanket of delicate flowers at least three times each year. Mid-May produces the most abundant bloom since it had the longest rest period, but rest assured summer and fall certainly contribute a plentiful display. The fall blossoms hang on until frost rears its ugly head!
Be sure to bring in a few flower-covered branches and add them to your vase on the kitchen counter. This dwarf variety thrives in a sunny spot where it can act as a hedge or a specimen and is extremely low maintenance. The mature size is 5’ tall and wide and only needs a haircut if you get impatient and want to speed up the flowering cycle.
Now you can have one of the classic spring-blooming shrubs showing off in the garden several times per year. Enjoy!
Photo credit: Monrovia