‘Bloomerang’ Reblooming Lilac
Lilacs are beautiful, scented spring-blooming shrubs. You see them everywhere – in the spring. After that gorgeous flush of blooms, the plants seem to disappear into the landscape. Sure, they can make a nice-enough green backdrop for other plants – if you keep them well-pruned so that they don’t get leggy. But there’s really not much else to recommend them after the blossoms fade. Until now…
Bloomerang® Purple Syringa x reblooming lilac - photo by permission of Proven Winners
This spring you’ll see the much-talked-about ‘Bloomerang’ reblooming lilac in garden centers for the first time. Unlike traditional lilacs, Bloomerang blooms in spring and then again from mid-summer ’til frost. It may go through a rest period in the heat of the summer but it will resume flowering as the weather cools.
I saw it for the first time at New England Grows in early February (yes, it was blooming) and, even though it had been forced and so was a little more floppy than it would be in the garden, it was quite a pretty little shrub. It’s more compact than traditional lilacs, growing from 4′ to 5′ tall and 5′ to 6′ wide (although a grower from Ontario whom I spoke with told me that it topped out in his zone 4 nursery at about 3′). The leaves are smaller than on larger varieties so it fits nicely into the mixed border. It also makes a good foundation plant that won’t block your views as it matures.
Bloomerang is cold hardy to -40F. It should be deadheaded after blossoms die to encourage repeat flowering and can be pruned lightly after the first flush of blooms fade. It has good powdery mildew resistance and is also resistant to the root rots that can be problematic for lilacs. Combine all of this with the lovely fragrance of the flowers, and Bloomerang is a must-have for any gardener looking for continuous color in the garden.
You may also be interested in this recent article: Why Are Reblooming Lilacs Creating Controversy?
Hmmmm…..a reblooming lilac. Intriguing! I am actually pondering taking out my lilac. It is old (came with the house) , huge, and has produced exactly 8 blooms in the last two springs combined. Underperforming in a big way. Maybe I’ll look into this one as a replacement.
I had a couple of huge, old lilacs too – and ended up removing them because they just didn’t “do what they were supposed to do”. Now I just prune and deadhead my neighbor’s lilac that extends over the fence. The part on my side of the fence is the only part that blooms – guess the pruning helps
I think that once a lilac gets past it’s prime, it’s better to just replace it.
I’ve always loved Lilacs, but have never been fully convinced to get one (for all the reasons you mentioned in your opening paragraph)… but now…… I’m definitely going to be looking for a few of these!
I’ve recently seen a few more of the ‘Bloomerang’ lilacs in bloom – like you, they’ve convinced me to give lilacs a chance in my garden.
I wonder how expensive they’ll be. I love lilacs, but I’ve resisted since we rent here (though I’ve certainly invested plenty in our garden). But if they’re going to be as affordable as the Endless Summer hydrangeas, it will be worth it to have lilacs all summer.
Apparently they come in different sizes and prices and are “quite affordable”. Proven Winners has made a point of offering plants that don’t cost a small fortune. I don’t have an exact price though
Still, I think it would be worth it for those lovely scented blooms!
I live in Northeast Ohio, Geauga county, snow belt area, will the Bloomarang do well in my part of the world??