Late blooming lilac?

finally:)

When we moved in during the winter, the prior homeowner told us about this special lilac in the front of our house.  I remember him telling me that it's a late bloomer and that I will think it's dead but it's really not.

Well, it's almost the middle of May and it still doesn't have but 3 small leaves on it (it's a fairly large bush - about 5' tall).  I was able to snap a few small branches off easily but am not sure if it's really going to come back or not at this point.  We had a very harsh winter.

Anyone familiar with a lilac that may not yet be growing leaves or flowering?

csartini

can you PIP? I know, sometimes it is hard to tell. I transplanted a lilac last year (or maybe the year before) and it hasn't had flowers since. There are leaves though so I know it is not dead. Maybe it needs a good pruning?  

Magdala9

mix in some copper powder this year for flowers next year.  I think we mix it in twice a year for flowers.   We picked up the copper powder at a garden center and it had the directions on the bottle.  we need to pick up some more. 

FoxinFiji

When you snapped the branches off were they green inside?  Are there leaves on it?  Lilacs can take a while (more than one season) to bloom after being transplanted or stressed but they typically just have very small blooms that get bigger every year.  New lilacs that are just a twig or two can take 3 or more years to begin blooming but they will be full of leaves so you know they are alive. 

gibbonlove

FoxinFiji:

When you snapped the branches off were they green inside?  Are there leaves on it?  Lilacs can take a while (more than one season) to bloom after being transplanted or stressed but they typically just have very small blooms that get bigger every year.  New lilacs that are just a twig or two can take 3 or more years to begin blooming but they will be full of leaves so you know they are alive. 

Ditto to this. I will also say that our lilacs seem to have come back later this year than they did last. I'd say the tree typically goes from bare to leaves to blooms within four weeks! It's a fast maturing plant... when it wants to mature.

MommaBee1228

I agree, mine seem late this year too. i am North of you in NJ, and mine haven't bloomed yet this year. They have dense foliage, but are not flowering yet. So dont worry just yet.