Summer Charm Lilac Trees

Origins

• Originally encountered as a mutant tree growing in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, nursery owner Willet N. Wandell made chip cuttings to create 165 saplings to grow at his facility in Urbana, Illinois. Initially described with cultivar named DTR 124, Wandell applied for a U.S. plant patent in 1993. A year later, the patent office assigned plant patent number 8951 to the tree. For marketing purposes, the trademark name Summer Charm was used during sale and introduction into the American horticultural trade.

Features

• The Summer Charm lilac tree matures 20 to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Very old, healthy trees may eventually reach up to 30 feet in height. The dark green leaves bear a broadly oval shape with sharp point. In very late spring or very early summer, around mid to late June, branch tips display many panicle clusters of tiny white flowers. Compared to the cultivar Ivory Silk, Summer Charm's leaves are smaller and more fine in texture. Summer Charm's canopy looks rounded, relaxed yet more upright and spreading. In fall the leaves drop away without ornate coloration, perhaps only with slight dull yellow-green hues.

Uses

• Exceptional cold hardiness makes Summer Charm tree lilac an exceptional choice for both a lawn specimen or street tree, especially in zones 3 and 4. Even when leaves drop off in winter, the shiny dark brown bark with contrasting light brown pores provides visual interest to a landscape, especially in regions with persistent snow covers. When not in bloom, the leaves provide good shade for cooling a picnic table, patio or building windows. The coarse, open branching structure, low mature height and upward-angled branches makes it a wiser choice to plant in proximity to overhead utility lines.

Growing Insight

• For the best canopy development and production of profuse flowers, plant a Summer Charm tree lilac in a sunny site that receives no less than eight hours of direct rays daily. Once established, the tree lilac demonstrates considerable drought tolerance. Best growth occurs on fertile, evenly moist soils that drain well and never flood. Prune dead, broken or diseased branches any time of year, but focus other pruning or trimming to immediately after the flowering ends. Summertime flowers arise from 1-year-old wood that matured the previous fall.