Ludwig Spaeth Purple Lilac

Thank you for your inquiry, The bare root plants have a shipping expectation of 1-2" tall.

I have grown many small young plants, including lilacs, in containers for several years until the plant is large enough to survive in the garden on it's own. Lilacs have proven more difficult than most plants for several reasons. They are sensitive to being over-watered. The roots of many lilacs rotted and died when given the same amount of water as all the other shrubs. They definitely want a moist but very well drained soil. Any plants left above the ground in containers did not survive the freezing cold below zero temperatures my garden receives every winter. If your winters are severe and the soil freezes solid in the barrel, most of the roots will die. Also, since most lilacs can grow to over 10 feet tall, you would need to prune this shrub severely and since the flower buds form on the tips of the branches, trimming the shrub after early summer means you are cutting off the flower buds and will not see any blooms next spring. My advice....you can try to grow this lilac in a large container but it will be challenging to keep it growing vigorously enough to bloom in the spring. A smaller, dwarf type lilac would be much easier.

Sissy, you have plenty of time to see them bloom! Of the ones I bought three years ago, one is in full sun and blooming freely. Magnificent. A second one is healthy and bushy but without blooms, mainly because I think there is more shade. I fully expect it will bloom next year.

Your plant could be "shocked" after being dug up, shipped and replanted. It may die back but should come back...fertilize, water and be patient.

Hello Jane, these plants will be approximately 12-18" when shipped.

It's supposed to be feet, not inches

These are actually 1 to 2 feet, not inches.

Yes, it is an antique hybrid that was first introduced during the Civil War.

Thank you for your question. It's rather difficult to answer your question, as many, many different varieties of lilacs are found on farms around the country. The photos we display on the website are as accurate as we can make them. We do have a couple of varieties that are darker than Ludwig Spaeth: President Grevy Blue Lilac: //www.starkbros.com/products/garden-plants/lilacs/president-grevy-blue-lilac and Sensation, which is a bit more of a dark blue lilac: https://www.starkbros.com/products/garden-plants/lilacs/sensation-lilac