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Sensation Lilac Shrubs for Sale Online
Lilac 'Sensation' (Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation') is a stunning and unique French lilac variety, prized for its large clusters of fragrant, purple-red florets edged in crisp white. This rare bicolor lilac creates a striking contrast, making it a standout in any spring garden or landscape design. As a mid-season bloomer, it typically flowers in mid-May, filling the air with its classic lilac fragrance and attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and pollinators.
This hardy, deciduous flowering shrub features upright, open-branching growth with lush green foliage, providing an elegant structure even when not in bloom. Lilac 'Sensation' thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it an ideal low-maintenance choice for a variety of garden settings. It grows best in USDA hardiness zones 3-7, displaying excellent cold tolerance and disease resistance, including strong resistance to powdery mildew.
Reaching a mature height of 8-10 feet with a 6-8 foot spread, Sensation Lilac is perfect for use as a spring-flowering hedge, privacy screen, or garden focal point. Its showy, long-lasting blooms also make it an excellent choice for cut flower arrangements, bringing its sweet fragrance indoors.
Whether planted as a single specimen shrub, in mass plantings, or incorporated into mixed borders, Lilac 'Sensation' will bring beauty, fragrance, and seasonal interest to your outdoor space for years to come. Its rare two-tone blooms, strong growth habit, and intoxicating scent make it a must-have for lilac lovers and garden enthusiasts alike.
| Hardiness Zone | 3-7 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 8 to 10 feet |
| Mature Width: | 5 to 6 Feet |
| Classification: | Broad leaved deciduous shrub, re-blooming |
| Sunlight: | Full sun |
| Habit: | Upright, rounded habit |
| Foliage: | Dark green |
| Flower Color: | Purple red edged in white |
| Pruning Season: | No pruning needed |
| Soil Condition: | Any well-drained soil |
| Water Requirements: | Water well until established |
| Uses: | Tolerates moist soil and full sun. Full sun brings out the best flowering. Will adapt to drier sites |
How to Care for Lilac Sensation
Be sure to read our planting instructions to ensure a healthy and happy plant for years to come!
How do I plant my Lilac Sensation Shrub?
We suggest when planting your newly purchased Lilac Sensation plants that you dig a hole twice as wide as the root system but not deeper. Depending on the quality of your existing soil you may need to add a locally sourced compost or topsoil to the back-fill soil. We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a back-fill soil because more times than not these products will retain entirely to much moisture and will cause the root system to rot. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots of Lilac Sensation to spread through the loose, nutrient rich soil, much easier than if you used solely the existing soil which more times than not will be hard and compacted. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant to deep. That is why we do not recommend planting in a hole any deeper than the soil line of the plant in the pot. A good rule is that you should still be able to see the soil the plant was grown in after back-filling the hole.
How do I water Lilac Sensation?
After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Lilac Sensation a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks. Gator Bags are a good investment that will help minimize the watering chore.
How do I fertilize Lilac Sensation?
Shrubs such as Lilac Sensation grow best if they are fertilized lightly in the spring once frost has passed with a well-balanced, extended-release, fertilizer such as espoma Tree-tone. Fertilize Lilac Sensation again 6 to 8 weeks later to encourage denser foliage or faster growth of young trees. We recommend Bio-Tone fertilizer when planting. Either chemical fertilizers or organic matter can be used successfully with Lilac Sensation. If chemical fertilizers are used on your Lilac Sensation, applying a slow-release, balanced fertilizer once a year in the spring is probably the simplest solution. Don't fertilize Lilac Sensation after August. Fertilizing at this time may stimulate new growth that will be too tender to withstand the winter. In the South, a late May application and another in July would be about right. Never fertilize a plant with a chemical fertilizer if the plant looks sick or wilted. If a plant is struggling due to a disease or root problems, the fertilizer will only add stress to it's life. Try to cure the problem before adding fertilizer.
How do I mulch Lilac Sensation Shrubs?
We highly recommend that you mulch your Lilac Sensation with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. Its better to leave a one inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the plant.
