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All of the lilac bushes I've ever grown have been in the sun. I assumed that was important for their survival.

When cleaning up the yard yesterday in preparation for spring planting, I found a lilac in an area that gets very little, if any, sun, especially on a regular basis. It's under large branches from a pine tree, and has some shade-loving plants and ground cover around the base.

The bush is healthy, and beginning to show buds, so obviously it's thriving. We don't need or want it in that spot though, as we can't see and enjoy it. Can I transplant it to a sunny area near our others, or does it need to be in the shade? Is it an anomaly, or are there shade-growing lilac varieties of which I was unaware?

Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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1 Answers1

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No, doesn't need to be in shade - lilac does prefer full sun, but that doesn't mean it won't cope with any shade. It may be getting more sun than you're aware of, but whether you can move it successfully or not is dependent on how long its been there - if you don't know that, then it depends how big it is, and whether its a dwarf variety. If it's been in that position for longer than three years, it will have a significant root spread, particularly if it's not a dwarf variety, but it might also be difficult to tell the difference between its roots and those of the tree growing behind. If it's showing flower buds, moving it now means they will probably abort, unfortunately. It's down to how keen you are to remove it from where it's currently growing whether you risk it or not.

Bamboo
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