Betsy Ross Lilac (Syringa x oblata ‘Betsy Ross’)

Besty Ross worked hard to make our country’s flag and the Lilac that has become her namesake will work just as hard for you! Betsy Ross Lilac (Syringa x oblata ‘Betsy Ross’) is the first Lilac released by the U.S. National Arboretum’s breeding program to introduce disease-tolerant Lilacs perfect for warmer climates. The pure white blooms come on strong and thick, filling your garden with that heavenly Lilac scent.

Betsy Ross blooms early in the spring and kicks off the growing season with a bang. Backed by a round form of heart-shaped leaves that are not just the perfect backdrop for the spring blooms, but also fill out dense enough to shelter birds and provide screening from eyesores or nosy neighbors!

If you’ve never been able to successfully grow Lilacs where you live because they won’t bloom in the heat and humidity, give Betsy Ross a try! Blooming in lower chill hours than the rest, Betsy thrives in USDA growing zones from chilly 4 through steamy 8. It grows to 10′ tall and wide and keeps its shape without a lot of pruning necessary. Deer tend to pass it by but beneficial pollinators and butterflies will flock to it!

Planting and Application:

It loves the sun and becomes a showpiece specimen in your perennial border or foundation planting. These are impressive specimens all on their own and neighbors will marvel at the longevity of their blooms and anchor garden beds, softening home corners of homes and structures while brightening your yard with elegant white blooms! Plant your favorite varieties in an informal grouping. Be sure to site your new Lilac where it will hide the view of your neighbor’s kitchen window!

Try Betsy Ross in a large container by the patio, dress up a breakfast nook, or add some fragrance and color to your porch seating areas! Just make sure you plant it where you will enjoy her intoxicating fragrance! You can grow Monge in outdoor containers for many years, that way you can keep the beauty and fragrance anywhere sunny.

Create a wonderful display with a collection of early, mid-season and late-season blooming Lilacs to extend your enjoyment of these fragrant blossoms all spring! Plant Betsy with later blooming Lilacs and flowering shrubs to enjoy an ever-blooming mixed shrub border for property definition, screening and to block the wind. You’ll inadvertently create a pollinator garden, wildlife, and bird refuge and have armloads of fragrant cut flowers to enjoy!

• Beautiful Panicles of Pink Blooms
• Repeat Bloomer for Three Seasons of Bloom
• Small Enough for Any Garden
• Great Cut Flowers & Very Fragrant!
• Specimens, Low Hedges & Screening, & Containers

Tips for Care:

This is really one of the easiest shrubs that you can grow, and one of the most rewarding. All Pink Perfume really needs average, well-drained soil that is moderately moist and in plenty of sun. Hardy in USDA zones 3-7, grow your Lilacs in an area with good air circulation. Be sure to keep high-nitrogen lawn fertilizer away from the roots. Mulch to keep the roots cool and hold in moisture. Apply a moderate amount of water on a regular basis while your plant is young, for container plants and during times of extended drought. Air circulation is important for Lilacs, so find a breezy place for them to perform at their best.

Don’t miss a single bloom! Follow these easy Pruning steps for the best flowering:

Lilacs blooms on old and new wood, so no pruning is required for it to perform its best. Right after the flowers are done, it’s time to prune. Don’t delay, as Lilacs will produce next year’s flowers on the new growth from this year. Snip the past flowers, then remove inward-heading branches and the thickest stems out at ground level. The goal is to let the interior of the shrub have plenty of sunlight and air circulation.

Once your Lilac plants have been growing for about 10 years, you’ll want to start a regular schedule of renewal pruning, and removal of suckers (when needed). After the blooms are fading, cut a few of the oldest, thickest branches right down to the ground each year. The younger, thinner branches remain and keep your plant vigorous and healthy.

Renewal pruning is great for your Lilac shrub. Removing the oldest growth lets the new branches take their turn. The youngest branches will produce the best bloom for you the following spring. Prune to keep an open interior to reduce the chances of powdery mildew.

• Full Sun & Partial Shade
• Easy to Grow & Low Maintenance
• Adaptable to Many Soil Types
• Moderate Moisture & Mulched Beds
• Prune Immediately After Flowering
• Improved Disease Resistance
• Cold Hardy & Deer Resistant

Fragrant, heat-tolerant white blooms are available for your landscape!