Can You Graft a Lilac Tree?

Features

• Lilacs grow best in full sun with a well-drained soil. They are often planted as a windbreak or property border to provide a hedgerow and privacy. The root system of the lilac is very shallow so adequate drainage is necessary. It grows to a height of up to 12 feet tall with a girth of up to 12 feet. When mature, the lilac will offer summer shade making it ideal for parks and home planting.

Functions of Grafting

• Grafting brings new cultivars to an existing tree to introduce another variety while a cutting can be grafted to a new seedling to bring strength to the new planting. Planting a grafted lilac branch can lead to a new bush altogether.

Types of Grafting

• Lilacs respond best to either bud grafting or cleft grafting. Cleft grafting is used for older more established lilacs on branches of large bushes or the trunk of smaller ones. It is best for branches between 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Bud grafting requires a single bud being used rather than a scion on a stem. It is performed in the summer months on well-grown buds to provide the best chance for success.

Considerations

• Grafting is not always successful no matter what precautions are taken. Lilacs do respond to grafting, but they grow slowly no matter what method is used. Hardwood cuttings are usually less productive than softwood cuttings. The softwood must be gathered during the peak season for many nurseries, though, making it less favored. Lilacs can often take three years for a grafted union or new graft planting to grow only 2 feet.