Tree Hugging Family

Hug This Tree: The Lilac Tree

by Jennifer on March 11th, 2008

Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers. I love the smell, and love that you can make all sorts of cool things with the flowers. Since spring is almost here, and the lilacs will soon be blooming all over, I thought it was as good a time as any to hug this tree.

Some basics:

Technically, lilacs started out as a bush, more so than a tree. In past years, the lilac bush was bred into the lilac tree. Lilacs fare better where winters are cold and in well drained soil. They leaf early and drop late. One of the best things about the lilac bush is that it can be used as a living fence. You can also plant lilac trees close in to a house, and even in a container. There are so many types of lilacs the choices are staggering. I like the good old light violet colored or blue-violet lilacs, but there’s also white, red-violet, pink, yellow, and dark purple varieties available.

The downside is that lilacs need upkeep. You need to prune them every few years, although yearly is best; remove weak growth, and clip off the seeds when the bloom is over for best health and look of the plant. This is not too bad if you keep up on it.

Awesome lilac uses:

One of my favorite things to do with lilacs use them in salads or candy them. They look amazing on cakes or cupcakes and taste great. You can also make lilac wine, lilac sorbet, or use them in homemade beauty products. You can even simply add them to your bath for fragrance.

To learn more visit the amazing world of lilacs at the beautiful International Lilac Site.

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