If you love Lilacs (and who doesn’t?) you’ll want to add Royalty Lilac (Syringa x josiflexa ‘Royalty’) to your landscape. This variety produces a great multitude of very large, fragrant blooms. It blooms later into the summer than other Lilac varieties. Add it to your collection and enjoy more of that amazing fragrance longer! Royalty Lilac is robust and extremely hardy, including resistance to disease and deer.
The flower buds are decidedly darker than the light lavender blooms, which creates an enchanting two-toned effect. The thick, dark green leaves create a superior backdrop for the lighter lavender color of the flowers. Be sure to cut some of the long panicles of flowers to bring inside. The flowers take well to being in a vase and will give several days of enjoyment.
More heat tolerant than most Lilacs, Royalty thrives from chilly USDA growing zones 3 up to steamy zones 8. Royalty Lilac is a stand-out among Lilacs and a must-have for your yard this summer. Developed in Ottawa, Canada, by Isabella Preston in the 1920s, Royalty Lilac is a particularly interesting variety as it has all of the outstanding features of Lilac shrubs, but with some added advantages!
Planting and Application:
The fragrance of the Royalty Lilac is also incomparable and sure to reach across your yard and through the windows with its heavenly sweet scent. This late-blooming variety of the popular ornamental shrub and when planted with earlier flowering varieties will extend your enjoyment of the incredible Lilac spring bloom!
One would be terrific near a patio or deck where you can easily enjoy its exceptional beauty and fragrance. Use Royalty as a freeform, informal flowering hedge for a really pretty sense of privacy in the warm months. Even though it’s a deciduous shrub, the dense branch structure provides screening year-round.
Easily soften a corner of your house! Try it near the length of the pool deck or use a single plant as a specimen in the lawn. The birds will delight in the shelter. Who wouldn’t want to nest in such a fragrant shrub? These butterfly magnets live for a very long time. Start a collection with Common Lilacs or stick with Royalty. There is no way to go wrong with these magnificent landscape shrubs!
The upright branching structure is energizing, and the relaxing foliage is a steady and sure green presence. You’ll have very little maintenance and enjoy the masses of fragrant flowers at the start of the summer. Fall in love with the airborne scent traveling throughout your yard, too. Include in pollinator gardens and cut flower gardens for the ability to share these blooms with many others or bring them indoors too!
Lilacs are incredibly popular, and there’s no wonder why. They’ve been immortalized in poetry, literature and song for generations, and will certainly continue to be one of the most sought-after plantings. This is a great choice!
- Gorgeous Variety With Dark Purple Buds Open to Lavender Blooms
- Very Fragrant & Later Bloom Period than Other Lilacs
- Extend the Lilac Season by Adding This Variety!
- Pretty, Upright Growth Habit & Thick, Leathery Leaves
- Hedges, Screening, Specimen & Fragrant Floral Arrangements
Tips for Care:
Give Royalty Lilac a moderate amount of regular water and it requires a planting site with good soil drainage. It performs best in full sun where it will receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. If you see puddles that remain long after a rainfall, mound them up when planting. Bring additional soil in and heap it up 18 – 24 high. You’ll plant directly in that mound.
Air circulation is important for Lilacs, so find a breezy place for them to perform at their best. It’s best to avoid low spots or heavily enclosed locations that trap airflow. Fertilize in early spring and again in mid-summer with Dr. Earth Organic and All Purpose Fertilizer, following directions on the package.
Give your plants an annual layer of mulch, completely covering the root system to a depth of 3 inches. Spread it out to 3 to 4 feet from the center of the plant. As a final step, be sure to pull the mulch away from the main stems by at least 2 inches to give it air circulation.
Don’t miss a single bloom! Follow these easy Pruning steps for the best flowering:
Royalty Lilac blooms on old wood, so prune just as soon as the flowers fade. Don’t wait much longer than that, or you’ll risk missing out on next year’s blooms. In late winter or very early spring, remove any dead or old branches. Cut out the thickest stems out at ground level every other year. Do not do any other pruning until immediately after the Lilac flowers are done! Lilacs bloom on old wood, so this year’s new growth will bloom the following year. Snip off the old flowers, then open up the interior by removing inward-heading branches.
Maintain an open canopy to ensure good air circulation and help prevent powdery mildew. You can also prune these bushes into a Royal Lilac Tree form by removing lower branches to form a small, multi-trunked specimen.
- Full Sun & Blooms in Zone 8
- Moderate Consistent Moisture
- Loves Mulched Beds & Well-Drained Enriched Soil
- Prune Immediately After Flowering Only
- Easy Care, Cold Hardy & Versatile
- Disease & Deer Resistant
Roll out the red carpet for this fantastic variety and extend the beautiful, sweet-smelling season of Lilacs with the outstanding beauty of Royalty Lilac bushes for your garden enjoyment.
