I'm sure lilacs will grow in Las Vegas. I wouldn't count on them blooming, though. They need a certain amount of chilling, which we don't get in Phoenix, to go dormant. If they don't have dormancy to store up energy, they won't bloom. They might bloom a little the first year or two, but then are sapped of enough energy. You might have better luck with Syringa persica (Persian lilac) than with Syringa vulgaris (common lilac)

guess my question pretty much got answered. I am in Arizona and have two friends here that want Lilac Bushes - which I got them for Christmas. But, now I'm wondering if they will blossom for them. The smell is what they were most wanting.......We are in the valley - not the mountains. We get SOME frost here during the winter, but not a lot..... any suggestions?????

Persian Lilacs worked great for me in the Texas heat.
I had brought rooted cuttings home from my daughters house in Michigan of the regular ones. They grew great leaves, but not one bloom in 5 years.

What are Persian Lilacs?

Persian lilac or chinese lilac will grow in Vegas and phoenix and SHOULD bloom. I'm far from an expert on the topic but I know some people who have them and I just planted one myself. I don't believe it is a true lilac although i could be wrong about that but it looks exactly like one and does much better in the desert heat. give that a shot.

I just bought 4 Persian lilacs (Syringa persica) in 1-gal pots a couple of days ago, primarily because they were so inexpensive. Grown in Arizona by Desert Nursery, they were at Home Depot in Tucson for $2.97, making it a small investment to try and grow them.

Besides, why would a local nursery in AZ propagate them, if they're doomed?

They aren't doomed. They will grow and I understand that they don't need the chilling for dormancy like common lilac. Even common lilac will grow, they just won't bloom. S. persica is smaller and not as lush looking as S. vulgaris, but if they have the fragrance, who care. :-)

I always recommend Crepe myrtles to people who ask about lilacs. First of all I am allergic to lilacs and get a really bad sore throat when they bloom. Crepe myrtles don't bother anyone's allergies and they bloom for months so they are also prettier than lilacs for a longer time. The crepe myrtles can grow into a tree and really add to the beauty of your landscaping. They come in lilac, dark purple, red, pink and many variations of those colors. Consider planting them instead! : )

Why would a nursery sell something that won't grow? These big box stores don't have much say-so in what they carry. That's a corporate decision. Somebody flying a desk, who really doesn't understand, looks at a USDA chart (maybe) and then orders.

Actually if you lived up on the mountain, the lilacs would grow and bloom.....so maybe the store isn't too far off afterall.

The CA native lilacs bloom with low chill. They are not as pretty as cultured lilacs but they are fragrant.

Does anyone know how I can tell which kind of lilac I just bought? About a month ago I found some at Wallmart (of all places). I had always heard they wouldnt grow here. And this is the first time I have ever seen them here in Arizona, since they were inexpensive I bought three and figured I would try it. They just said. Lilac, no additional information. They came wrapped like bare root blackberries with a single green shoot each. We live in far East Mesa where it does get a little colder in the winter. I planted each of the three in various exposures since I had no idea what to do with them. I am hoping at least one will survive and bloom. We had Lilacs all over when I lived in the Pacific Northwest and I so miss that wonderful smell! I don't remember them coming up as shoots? I remember them being sold as a small potted bush. Any ideas on which variety I may have purchased? I wonder how long it will take for them to mature into a bush. Any tips on what special requirements they may have for fertilizer and water needs compared to the other desert and tropical plants in my yard. Thanks for any ideas!
Jessica

wildfirekennel, If you got your lilacs bareroot, I suspect they are Syringa vulgaris, the common lilac, that has a fairly long dormancy period. I think the ones that will do well in the heat are not dormant as long. However, I'm guessing. ;-) The Persian lilacs I've seen are much 'looser' growing plants with smaller leavers that the common ones. There are also some varieties of S. vulgaris that are supposed to bloom with less chilling. I had a 'Blue Skies' (may not be right name but it was Blue something or other) that bloomed a little bit for a couple of years but not after that. Perhaps with the right microclimate- lots of sun but not afternoon, plenty of water - you might get some of those wonderfully fragrant blooms. I moved mine around trying to find the right place and finally gave up. :-(

I have heard of "Lavender Lady" lilac not needing much chill time and being great for the Central Texas climate.
Monrovia growers have it, but no locals sell it.So I
ordered one from Select Plus Lilac Nursery back in January, but they never sent it to me and it is May 6th now.Today I canceled my order sadly. I found a Persian Lilac last month. Put it in a large pot in morning sun/ afternoon shade and it has new growth and lots of buds.

Since we last talked I've planted a Persian lilac and am in love with it. Definitely the way to go in low desert areas. It keeps getting bigger every year and blooms more. It doesn't have the huge trusses of flowers like Common lilac but the fragrance is there and covers that whole area of the garden. Not a huge water user either.

Hi Judy,
Where did you get your Persian lilac and where in your yard did you plant it? How much sun does it get? I got a lilac at Lowe's about 4 months ago. It is supposed to be a low chill lilac that would grow well here in the Phoenix area. Mine is planted on the east side but gets some strong sun up until about 1 pm. It's struggling and didn't have a whole lot of leaves on it when I bought it. Some of it's leaves have fallen off. I'm afraid it won't make it over the summer.

Lavender Lady is one of them... but just FYI, you may want to search for more lilacs that are called "Descanso Hybrids"... they were developed there and it's Zone: 9B

I received 2 of these bushes from friends in NM after my Lab was euthanized. A local nursery in Gilbert, AZ suggested I plant these indoors to give them any chance of survival. I have had them for about a month and am hesitant to do anything with them without the correct planting informaton. Can anyone help?
Thanks.

Yes, lilac bushes grow in Las Vegas. I put mine in the back yard near the spigot in 1996 and it blooms beautifully every spring. I dug it deep and water it a lot in the summer. That's about it. My friend gave me a sprig from her bush that she brought from Virginia.

I also agree with above comment from parker25mv,lilacs do not grow so well here in AZ/Vegas not because it does not get cold enough but because the sun is too blistering hot it scalds/burns them yet they need sun to bloom and just that the air is way too dry.If you do manage to get one growing it will probably be devoured by aphids,spider mites. Buy your mom a Lilac candle from Yankee Candle it is just like sitting on the backporch at my Aunt's house in Indiana on a hot humid summer day when all of her massive lilac bushes were in full bloom. Incredible candle seriously! Make sure you get her the large jar candle they cost a lot but man oh man you will make her so happy. I♥flowers!

I have lived in Las Vegas for 40 years

The reason why they sell flowers in local Las Vegas hardware stores and grocery stores and Sam's club etc etc it's because they don't care if they'll put out whatever the warehouse sends... if it dies how many people will actually save the receipt and original container that you purchased it in.. and return it as long as it's been within the time frame that they accept the plant back there are really really weird out here about stuff like that... They sell fuchsia plants and gardenias I have tied both on a more than few occasions.. THEY DO NOT GROW HAIR AND I AM A GOOD GARDENER.. I CAN GROW JUST ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THOSE PLANTS I STAY AWAY FROM along with the raspberry blackberry boysenberry etc plants they try to sell out here and they sell..In the end they die because it's so freaking hot out here in the summer everything dies some come back some don't..

Now tomatoes do well out here if you plant in February... Don't forget we get no rain Zippo we went over 200 days last year in 2020 with no rain not even a drop..heat kills everything including your car battery your tires your paint job anything plastic on your car ..everything must be planted in February.. certain plants are pretty little cute and all that stuff .. they sell them out here they don't live oh I forgot it's so dry here the dryness is in your house will kill them ...let alone outside... Remember heat kills everything..pets people if you expose yourself long enough you will die that's how the plants die