Is Lilac A Good Tree For Bonsai?

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a large deciduous shrub that is known for its flowers. There a number of varieties of lilac, but one that is of real interest to us as bonsai growers is the dwarf lilac.

Both species are not that commonly used in bonsai, but I feel that the dwarf variety has a lot of potential and is something we really need to pay attention to.

Is Lilac A Good Species for Bonsai?

I am growing both the common and the dwarf varieties and honestly the common lilac is not great, especially when compared to the dwarf version, which is excellent.

If you are growing the common lilac as a large tree, it has some potential, but I feel it will never be great. Its leaves are a little large and its growth can be a bit long and stretched at times.

The dwarf version has a lot of potential. Its leaves are small and it can easily be pruned into a dense little tree. My parents actually have a dwarf lilac  in their garden. It’s been pruned a lot, so is just this kid of round bush with no real interest at the minute. However, once winter came that all changed. They are deciduous so the leaves dropped and I was able to see its amazing structure.

It has probably been growing in the ground for around 20 years. It has an amazing root flare and trunk; it almost reminds me of those 80 year old Japanese maples. It has that feel about. It just needs some styling and some work done to it, but I honestly believe it would make an incredible bonsai.

My plan is to dig it one day, so hopefully you will all get to see it at some point. Until then I have a cutting from it and I have my common lilac too.

Is Lilac Foliage Good For Bonsai?

The foliage on the common lilac is okay, it’s a nice shape and colour, but it is sometimes a little big. I have been keeping my tree well pruned and I have found they do reduce, so there is a lot of potential here for bonsai. If you let it grow out the internodes can get long and stretched, which is not ideal, but again, pruning will reduce these.

The dwarf variety is just naturally set up for bonsai. Its leaves are tiny and its inernodes are quite short, it has everything that you would want, without having to do any work.

Is A Lilacs Growth Rate Good For Bonsai?

The growth rate of these trees is something I need more time to decide on. The common lilac can grow quickly when in the ground, but I have found the one I am growing in a pot to be quite slow. I am using a very small pot, so I imagine this is playing a role in its growth rate.

The dwarf lilac also seems slow, but this is more expected. The bush in my parent’s garden is very healthy, and it is pretty vigorous, but it doesn’t seem to get out of hand. My little cutting in a pot has basically done nothing and is very slow growing, so I think it will take a long time to develop as a bonsai.

They also flower, but the problem is that they flower on the tips of long branches, usually on 2^nd or 3^rd year growth, which you are most likely going to have pruned back long before they have ever had a chance to develop the flowers.

Response To Pruning

From my limited experience both varieties seems to respond well to pruning. I have seen back buds forming and I have seen the branches divide where they have been pruned.

More importantly the new growth is always smaller and thinner, which means ramification can be built on both of these varieties very easily which is exactly what you want form a tree that is being used for bonsai.  

Is Lilacs Styling Ability Good For Bonsai?

Both the common and dwarf lilac are deciduous, and are basically shrubs. This means you can really style them any way you want. It will depend on your individual tree and how its trunk looks, but really this species will work with any sort of design that would work with a deciduous tree.

Wiring

Both varieties can be wired with no problem. I would just watch out the wire cutting in as the bark is pretty thin.

Is A Lilacs Fall Colours Good For Bonsai?

Both varieties are deciduous, so they will lose their leaves in the autumn, but sadly their display is nothing to write home about. They just sort of go yellowy brown and drop off. It can still look nice, but it’s not as vibrant as some trees.

It does also mean that you can see the winter silhouette and examine the structure. As I’ve already said, the bush in my parent’s garden is what drove me start using this species as seeing all the trunk movement and fine branching is just incredible.  

Is Lilac Bark Good For Bonsai?

The bark is thin and smooth, but it is a nice slivery colour. I have noticed that wounds seem to dry out and turn a darker colour, so they stand out pretty easily against the lighter bark.

This isn’t the end of the world but it is something to take note of when trying to build a bonsai. You should try and make as little damage to the trunk to avoid these scars, but this can of course be difficult when you are trying to keep a tree small.

Deadwood Opportunities

I feel deadwood would not work on lilac. As it is deciduous, it is best to avoid dead branches, but some carving on the trunk might work. It will depend on your trunk, but most I have seen have been quite feminine and would not suit the rugged hollows that carving can bring. 

Are Lilac Roots Good For Bonsai?

I have not had much experience with the roots yet. I did get the dwarf variety to root easily, but I have not looked at the roots.

The roots on the common lilac seem okay for bonsai. I was able to air layer my tree from a larger one really easily and I have repotted it 2 or 3 times since.

The roots respond well to pruning and you can treat them like any other deciduous tree.  They are a maybe a little thicker than you might want, but over all they are acceptable for bonsai. I have been growing my tree in a very small pot and it seems happy enough.

Is Lilac Easy To Care For As Bonsai?

Both varieties of lilac that I own are really easy to care for. They just need the basics of light and water and that’s about it.  They don’t need any winter protection or anything special. As far as trees go, they are pretty simple.

Conclusion

If you want to use lilac, you can probably end up with something okay, especially if you make the tree slightly bigger. It probably shouldn’t be your first choice for a tree, but you can work with it.

Dwarf lilac on the other hand, if you see this, get it.

If they are allowed to grow and develop like the bush in my parents garden, you will end up with something incredible.

We will see how my cutting turns out, but I know one day I will dig that bush up and you will all be very impressed with it. It will make an amazing bonsai.