I have a lilac bush that was planted too close to a stone retaining wall—only about 12 inches away! It's currently around 6 feet tall and wide and leans away from the wall to catch what little sunlight it gets in the mornings. The plant has plenty of blooms and attracts butterflies, but I'm worried because even watering it makes the branches bend a lot. I'm concerned it might break this winter from snow or ice. I read that pruning should be done in late winter or early spring, but I'm uncertain whether I should just remove the bush entirely or try to manage it somehow.
2 Answers
If you’re looking to save those blooms for next spring, hold off on any pruning until just after they fade. Pruning too late might cut off next year’s flowers. Lilacs can handle winter weather pretty well, so don’t worry too much about them surviving the winter.
It sounds like your bush might not even be a lilac if it’s blooming now. It could actually be a Buddleja, which also draws in butterflies. Maybe share a photo to confirm?
I'm really curious too! If you could post a pic, that would help a lot in figuring this out.