Here they are shown with a normal size lilac for reference.

So, in other words, watch those species lilacs. LOL.

I tossed forget me not seeds under the lilacs.

Wow! I've never seen them grow like that! I've seen lots of old plants around long gone home sites, but have never seen them do that- no wonder your area is so known for Lilacs! So gorgeous! I have such a love of the look of beautiful flowers that have naturalized with reckless abandon. The forget me nots are such a lovely underplanting for them!

Thank you. I think it must be a great area up here for the lilacs to naturalize. We have old homesteads with huge plantings.

I'm gathering forget me not seeds to throw down the roadway this year and get them going. Those all came from seeds from three plants.

Polly, those lilacs are amazing. It must be like a wonderland when they're in bloom.

I need to admit my ignorance. What does a sucker on a lilac look like? What do they do? Why are they bad? What should I do if I have them? Does anyone have pictures to show me what they look like? That would help a lot.

Just lilac stems coming up all around the trunk of the lilac, out of the ground. They can come out away from the main lilac quite a ways.

I can get a picture.

Hi Val,

These pictures show a lilac that has suckered. The first picture is of the origional lilac, and shows the main trunk. The next picture shows all the suckers coming off it. About a foot or so from the main lilac. These suckers are attached to the parent lilac, and have rooted in the ground. Cutting off the suckers (or shoots, which they may be called), is the normal way lilacs are propagated.

And the suckers

So lilacs should only have one stem? I think my Miss Kim's only have one. But the Palibin that was here when we bought the house has many stems (I don't know how old it is). Should I cut off all of the extra stems?

I've been thinking removing the suckers may help reserve energy for the main trunk to produce more blooms?

My Persian Lilac has started blooming. I'm particularly happy to see it bloom, it was torn up by the backhoe a couple of years ago and now seems to have recovered.

I really don't know. I've never compared one with just one trunk to one that has sprouts, as far as blooming. I usually dig up some of the sprouts to propagate more plants.

I love that Persial lilac.

This is a wonderful place to visit. I go from post to post just smelling and sniffing and enjoying the pictures. Thanks for making this so pleasant.

When I was growing up in PA, we had a summer home with an entire row of white and purple lilacs that divided a hill from the lower part of one of the sitting areas in the gardens. We had paths in those lilacs and little places to hide when we played hide and seek. I could never guess how old they must have been. I never knew lilacs grew any other way until many years after I left home. They were always my favorite to cut and take to my Mother and Grandmother if I was late for dinner and was trying not to catch heck. We only had 13 acres and 10 of it was gardens of all sorts, rock, wild flower, iris, peonys, all the old fashion flowers. I am almost 83 and I do thank you for taking me back in time with this beautiful group. I would like to visit it again soon.

Lilacs, especially the fragrance, take me back to childhood too. My aunt had a huge one that was old and the center had died out, and it made a perfect "club house".