Lilac replanting - Ask Extension
Greetings:
We have had lilac bushes with the fungus that caused all the leaves to turn brown and fall off in the summer of 2024. After reading your a...
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Lilac replanting #922152
Asked November 19, 2025, 9:52 AM EST
Greetings:
We have had lilac bushes with the fungus that caused all the leaves to turn brown and fall off in the summer of 2024. After reading your articles on this, we removed all the leaves we could.
In 2025 the trees started out great, but the fungus came again, and the leaves turned brown and dropped off in July. Then the leaves came back, turned brown and fell off again. In addition, one plant died and was removed. Upon advice we read online and talking to gardeners at Gerten’s and to the herbicide folks there, we cut down all the lilacs (and had some landscaping done).
Our question is we want to replant lilac trees in more or less the same place as the old ones. Is this advisable? Should we wait a year or so? Or is it advisable to turn to a different tree or shrub?
Thanks.
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
Because of the recurring problems, I would not recommend using lilacs again in this area.Let the area rest for another year. Use the time perusing other shrubs that will grow with the sun/shade conditions the spot has. Determine what will work there and take the opportunity to look at some other shrubs. Perhaps hydrangeas. They come in various mature sizes. As of now there hasn't been any problems with the disease you had with the lilacs
