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Lilac tree looking odd in its third year

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Martyn_H
Martyn_H Posts: 481 Forumite
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in Gardening
After a fairly mild London winter, our lilac tree has some buds that haven't opened yet but there are other parts of the tree where new branches have grown, topped with flowerheads. 

The first two years were fine so I'm wondering why things are different this year?

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  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,378 Forumite
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    Have you done anything? Such as pruning, something nearby shading it now that wasn't before?

    Otherwise, it's, Climate change or Brexit >:)
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 5,753 Forumite
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    Mine is much the same.
     But I think the top may have died.
    Must be something to do with the weird weather.


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  • Martyn_H
    Martyn_H Posts: 481 Forumite
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    Nothing changed
  • ArbitraryRandom
    ArbitraryRandom Posts: 2,617 Forumite
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    Any chance of a picture? 
    I'm not an early bird or a night owl; I’m some form of permanently exhausted pigeon.
  • Martyn_H
    Martyn_H Posts: 481 Forumite
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    You'll need to zoom in


  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 14,634 Forumite
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    You[ve got one of the ones we were talking about the other day, Sensation isn't it? To be honest, your lilac looks like my lilac, I've got new flowerheads all over with the new growth topping them out. Mine flowered first, grew later, is that what you mean?
    Shampoo? No thanks, I'll have real poo...
  • Martyn_H
    Martyn_H Posts: 481 Forumite
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    Yes, the Sensation. It seems that growth is uneven with some parts in flower and other parts barely breaking through.
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,378 Forumite
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    Martyn_H said:
    Yes, the Sensation. It seems that growth is uneven with some parts in flower and other parts barely breaking through.

    Not having seen Sensation in the flesh, but perhaps the lop sided growth is part of the trade-off for the hybridising?
    Similar to how some roses bred for large showy blooms lose the scent?
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 5,753 Forumite
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    The top part of mine is starting to bud so not dead.
    Just some slow development for some reason.
    The flowers on the bottom half were smaller than usual too.
    In my case I'm thinking that despite the rain the water hasn't got down to the bottom rroots - or vice versa.

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


  • ArbitraryRandom
    ArbitraryRandom Posts: 2,617 Forumite
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    Could be something simple like the fence absorbs/holds heat, so the branch against the fence is just a little warmer.

    The good news might be that if you've got flower buds on the other side - you should have a longer flowering season :)  

    It looks healthy at least so I wouldn't be too worried. 
    I'm not an early bird or a night owl; I’m some form of permanently exhausted pigeon.
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