Planting Common Lilac and Foundations - Ask Extension
Hello,
I live in the Macalester area of St. Paul and have some clay in the soil.
I would like to plant a common lilac in the front of my house (at...
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Planting Common Lilac and Foundations #757266
Asked June 20, 2021, 9:03 AM EDT
Hello,
I live in the Macalester area of St. Paul and have some clay in the soil.
I would like to plant a common lilac in the front of my house (at a right angle to the house going out to the street) to use as a hedge to get privacy from neighbors.
I only have 2 feet until I get to the property line.
How far in front of my house can I plant the lilac? Gertens lists the spread as 12 feet. Am I okay planting the lilac 6 feet in front of my house, close to the property line? My concern is the foundation.
I really do need help getting privacy.
Also, city of St. Paul says that a fence in front of your house must be 4 ft tall max. Any ideas for other barriers? 4 feet is not enough. Thoughts on if trellises have same restrictions? Any other ideas while my lilac grows?
Thank you so much for this service!
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
Hello Gail, happy to help.
When plant sizes are given that's what the spread is on all sides of the plant. So if a lilac has a spread of 12 feet, then it will spread 6 feet out from its center in all directions. Placing the center of the shrub just two feet from the property line means that four feet of a mature shrub will hang over onto your neighbor's. That's if it gets that big. A lot of what plays into mature size includes how much water and sun it gets. If the shrubs are in shade, they'll get rangy and maybe send up suckers farther out seeking more light.
As for your foundation. it's really a matter of where the water is. Roots will not hurt a foundation because there's no water to be had by penetrating a foundation. If you have an overhang with gutters, the finer roots may be found closer to the house when there's sufficient moisture to support them. Also shrubs don't usually produce those big roots that trees do.
Clay soil isn't much of a problem for lilacs.
Finally, you'll have to check with your city about what must stay lower than 4 feet including such plantings as a vine on a trellis. Does four feet include fencing that runs along the side of the property between yards? If so, then you'll need to think about lower growing shrubs or making a plan to prune your shrubs yearly after they get to about four feet tall and wide. And that's a matter of if you have an afternoon in late spring to prune the entire hedge each year.
Good-luck!
When plant sizes are given that's what the spread is on all sides of the plant. So if a lilac has a spread of 12 feet, then it will spread 6 feet out from its center in all directions. Placing the center of the shrub just two feet from the property line means that four feet of a mature shrub will hang over onto your neighbor's. That's if it gets that big. A lot of what plays into mature size includes how much water and sun it gets. If the shrubs are in shade, they'll get rangy and maybe send up suckers farther out seeking more light.
As for your foundation. it's really a matter of where the water is. Roots will not hurt a foundation because there's no water to be had by penetrating a foundation. If you have an overhang with gutters, the finer roots may be found closer to the house when there's sufficient moisture to support them. Also shrubs don't usually produce those big roots that trees do.
Clay soil isn't much of a problem for lilacs.
Finally, you'll have to check with your city about what must stay lower than 4 feet including such plantings as a vine on a trellis. Does four feet include fencing that runs along the side of the property between yards? If so, then you'll need to think about lower growing shrubs or making a plan to prune your shrubs yearly after they get to about four feet tall and wide. And that's a matter of if you have an afternoon in late spring to prune the entire hedge each year.
Good-luck!
