Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

We were just recently asked about growing lilacs in Georgia, for someone who had fond memories of them growing in Connecticut. Here is an excerpt from our answer to that question:

"Lilacs bloom only for a quick couple of weeks in the Spring; so, if they have already done that, you're not going to get any more blooming until next Spring. The majority of natural lilacs come from Asia. In Europe, they come from the Balkans, France and Turkey. Of course, being non-native to North America, they do not appear in our Native Plant Database."

As for getting them from a florist, we have no listings for those in our database; we would suppose some floral supply company somewhere might grow, in severely controlled greenhouse conditions, lilacs blooming in July, and be prepared to deliver them to you on the appointed date, for a price. And there's the rub. We would suggest that the bride talk to a local, reputable florist and get suggestions from them for alternative flowers. Most flowers provided by florists are non-natives to North America and out of our area of expertise, anyway. Whatever she chooses will probably be flown in and not be cheap, but we honestly don't think lilacs would be available anywhere in July, even from the other side of the world.