| Searching for non-suckering showy highly fragrant lilacs that are resistant to mildew, blight and cold resistant (zone 4 at most). Somehow syringa preston seems to be non-suckering but I don't hear anything about their fragrance. eg. Miss Canada. From the fragrance point of view, I was interested in Mt. Baker and Charles Joly but I am afraid they sucker. Couldn't get a straight info on this point. Are there fragrant showy non-suckering disease resistant lilacs around? |
| making a selection -- there are hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of varieties! In terms of hardiness, lilacs at the basic level are very cold hardy and in fact are sometimes used as windbreaks. According to Michael Dirr's well respected "Manual of Hardy Landscape Plants" lilacs (S. vulgaris) is hardy into zone 3. Of the plants you mentioned, Charles Joly tends to appear on many lists of "best lilacs" and is considered to be highly fragrant, it is also a lovely double flowered form with a rich magenta coloring and a long standing "tired and true" variety so it might be a good choice for you. Apart from that, you might want to experiment and see what works best for you in your own yard and growing conditions. Also, your local county extension and professional nursery personnel may have some suggestions as to varieties that do particularly well in your local area and then you could examine those in person to make your selection. You have asked some excellent questions and unfortunately, the answer is sort of an "it depends" and "in my opinion" kind of a situation instead of a clear cut or straightforward "do this." I hope this helps you in your decision making process. making a selection -- there are hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of varieties! In terms of hardiness, lilacs at the basic level are very cold hardy and in fact are sometimes used as windbreaks. According to Michael Dirr's well respected "Manual of Hardy Landscape Plants" lilacs (S. vulgaris) is hardy into zone 3. Of the plants you mentioned, Charles Joly tends to appear on many lists of "best lilacs" and is considered to be highly fragrant, it is also a lovely double flowered form with a rich magenta coloring and a long standing "tired and true" variety so it might be a good choice for you. Apart from that, you might want to experiment and see what works best for you in your own yard and growing conditions. Also, your local county extension and professional nursery personnel may have some suggestions as to varieties that do particularly well in your local area and then you could examine those in person to make your selection. You have asked some excellent questions and unfortunately, the answer is sort of an "it depends" and "in my opinion" kind of a situation instead of a clear cut or straightforward "do this." I hope this helps you in your decision making process. |
