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Linda, The lilac bush in our yard had lovely blooms this season but there are areas of leaf loss. We have never seen this before. Please advise. Thanks, Tina

Answer

Your photo shows a very thick Lilac that needs to be pruned very badly. Sun needs to penetrate into the center of the shrub and because it is so thick the interior is shaded. No sunlight means no leaves or growth, so the stems die off. All is not lost, but the lilac needs to be pruned in a certain way to thrive. If you'd like us to come out and prune it, give us a call.

Lilacs are actually members of the olive family and today there are over 1000 varieties of them around the world. Lilacs were originally found in Asia and made their way to Europe before being brought to this country by European settlers in the 1700s. Properly cared for lilacs can live a very long time; some have been known to live over 200 years! Thank you for your question.

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About Linda Lillie

Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.

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